Sermon – Trinity Evangel Church: Recent Episodes
Trinity Evangel Church
Or, How a Christian Should Prepare for His Return 1 Peter 4:1-11 May 15, 2022 Evening Service Ryan Hall
Or, Our Representatives and Their Reigns Romans 5:12-17 May 15, 2022 Lord’s Day Worship Sean Higgins Introduction Some things benefit by being balanced. Some are ruined by it. A balanced diet does the body good, but we don’t try to
Or, The Radical Salvation of Rebels Romans 5:6-11 May 8, 2022 Lord’s Day Worship Sean Higgins Introduction Is there a more important thing in the universe than love? Of course there are many other important, even vital commodities, things such
Or, Enduring the Process Romans 5:3-5 May 1, 2022 Lord’s Day Worship Sean Higgins Introduction Peter blessed God that the elect are born again to a living hope (1 Peter 1:3). Paul wrote that because believers have peace with God
Or, Exulting in the Glory That Should Have Killed Us Romans 5:1-2 April 24, 2022 Lord’s Day Worship Sean Higgins Introduction Were it not for grace we would all be consumed by the thing we long for the most. Even
In order of testimonies: Calvin Kulishov (2:57)Bernt Smith (6:31)Gideon Barnts (10:25)Trevor Barnts (14:52)Stephanie Herr (19:02)
Or, The Terminal Move That Changed Everything1 Corinthians 2:8-9 April 17, 2022 Lord’s Day Worship Sean Higgins Introduction There are stories too good to be told only once. Some people enjoy going over known information, they get edification in the
Or, Wavering Isn’t Worship Romans 4:18-25 April 10, 2022 Lord’s Day Worship Sean Higgins Introduction Regardless of what anyone tells you, doubt doesn’t make you cool. We doubt because it makes us think that we know better, because we think
Or, Christ Vivified, Vindicated, and Victorious1 Peter 3:18-22 April 3, 2022 Evening Service Sean Higgins Introduction Last summer when we agreed to cover 1 Peter during our Sunday evening sermon series I made recommendations to the other pastors on paragraphs
Or, The God Who Brings His Promise to Life Romans 4:13-17 April 3, 2022 Lord’s Day Worship Sean Higgins Introduction Men are manipulators. It is not necessarily a bad thing, at least depending on the definition of manipulation. The Latin
Or, The Footsteps of Faith Romans 4:9-12 March 27, 2022 Lord’s Day Worship Sean Higgins Introduction Everyone who believes is a son of Abraham. There are some who are sons of Abraham who do not believe. There are two ways
Or, Two Sides of the Same Count
Romans 4:1-8
March 20, 2022
Lord’s Day Worship
Sean Higgins
Introduction The first song we sang this morning was “Blessed Assurance.” It’s an old-school Baptist hymnbook staple, and it’s good enough for what it is. I’ve seen evangelism/discipleship materials in which step one was get the other person to pray the sinner’s prayer, and step two was get them to embrace their assurance of salvation. That’s not what I would do, though I do talk to a considerable number of professing believers who struggle with wondering if they are truly saved; genuine assurance is a blessing for sure. 1 John is the best epistle for testing one’s confession of faith “that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13), but it is a process to “make your calling and election sure” (2 Peter 1:10, KJV), so maybe not step two. And before looking for blessed assurance, it’d be worthwhile to get a tighter hold on blessed credit.
Paul started laying ground-level gospel a couple paragraphs ago. The good news is that salvation is not by works (Romans 3:21), and mostly because we’ve already failed by works. Our works have been the wrong ones-sin, and incomplete ones-falling short of glory (Romans 3:23). But salvation is God’s work, a work that includes Christ taking the Father’s wrath our disobedience deserved and also giving us the righteous standing of Christ’s obedience.
The Jews reading this letter in Rome may have had questions, if not objections. For that matter, James’ letter (written maybe 15 years earlier), appears to say that more than faith is required for justification. Both Paul and James look to Abraham, which is what all Israel also did. Much of this next section of the epistle (our chapter 4) is about Abraham’s justification, and it leaves no room for boasting. Abraham was the first one not to get what he deserved.
Abraham’s Way (verses 1-3) God chose Abraham and promised him blessing (Genesis 12:2). God promised to make Abraham the father of His chosen nation (Israel) and the father of a multitude of nations (Genesis 17:6). If the Law and the Prophets bear witness to righteousness apart from the law (Romans 3:21), and if Abraham is at their headwaters, then in what way was Abraham saved?
What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” (Romans 4:1–3 ESV)
The patriarch of patriarchs was Abraham, the first forefather. God called Abram out of Ur and said that in him all the nations would be blessed. The chosen line went through Abraham’s second son, Isaac, to Jacob, whose name became Israel. When the LORD revealed Himself to Moses, He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (Exodus 3:6). So Abraham is the forefather according to the flesh, the ethnic people group. If you had to pick just one example, this is the guy.
Verse 1 asks the question, and verse 2 rules out works. Paul argues according to impossibility. It’s almost a full syllogism (as pointed out in the commentary by John Murray), and can be translated into standard categorical form. (Providentially, my Logic class just got to this chapter: take a singular—Abraham—as a universal, and a hypothetical—if—as a universal).
- All men justified by works are men who have reason to boast.
- (All) Abraham was a man justified by works.
- Therefore, (All) Abraham was a man with a reason to boast.
The problem is that the minor/second premise is false, which makes the argument fall apart. We know the minor premise is false because of Scripture.
The authority for our logic is God’s Word. Paul quotes from Genesis 15:6, and it’s the first declaration of righteousness in Scripture. God had already called Abram (chapter 12), Abram and Sarai had already sojourned in Egypt (chapter 12), Abram had separated from Lot (chapter 13) and had to rescue Lot (chapter 14), and after all that, Abram said to the LORD, “You have given me no offspring” (Genesis 15:3). The LORD took Abram outside and said that his offspring would be numbered like the number of stars (Genesis 15:5). Abraham believed God, and God counted or “credited” that belief as righteousness.
Counted is the key word, used 11 times in the chapter, and five times in these first eight verses. It refers to calculation, to a reckoning, to take into account, to credit (NASB). Abraham’s righteous status before God did not come because of anything he did, but God counted the believing.
A Worker’s Wages (verses 4-5) Paul follows up Abraham’s justification with a general principle about the differences between wages earned and gifts received.
Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, (Romans 4:4–5 ESV)
Workers get a wage; they get paid. When you put in forty hours, your boss isn’t doing anything gracious to multiply your hourly rate by the hours clocked. That’s not a gift, that’s what you earned. What is due is what you’ve obligated the employer to compensate.
In salvation, if works were the way to justification, then you could say justification was a debt to be paid by God. Human works put God, if He was to be just, into the position of debtor.
Instead, we believe for justification, and we believe that God is the one who justifies. He declares the ungodly, the guilty, clean.
Our justification is by faith not works, our justification is by grace not merit, our justification is a gift. This letter to the Romans, and the good news of redemption, is about gift. More gift than the sun is the Son, and more than breath is His blood, and more than fruit is the indwelling Spirit, and all the good is gift. The central event in human history is gift. The nature of God is that of generous giver. Paul argues in Romans 8 that if the Father has given His Son, how will He not with the Son graciously give us all things (Romans 8:32)?
Sinner, could you get better news?
David’s Blessing (verses 6-8) These verses give Scriptural support to the principle in verses 4-5.
just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:
“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered;
blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not
count his sin.”
(Romans 4:6–8 ESV)
Abraham was, without doubt, the most important forefather, and the recipient of a broad covenant. David was, without doubt, the most important national king, and the recipient of a more specific covenant. David is also a clear example of a man whose works condemned him.
Paul quotes Psalm 32. Psalm 32 isn’t explicitly tied to David’s sin with Bathsheba and Uriah, but the lyrics immediately following the ones Paul quotes surely apply.
For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.
(Psalm 32:3–4 ESV)
David knew what he deserved. He was weighed down by his guilt, wrung out and withered by his conscience. Forgiveness was a relief. So, blessed is the man who is forgiven.
Note that Paul quotes David’s part about the man against who the Lord will not count his sin. But Paul’s point has been about the man for whom the Lord will count righteousness. It is the same word we’ve been tracking, count (or “credit” from λογίζομαι). This is the other side of the same count. One side is when God counts faith as righteousness, the other side is when God counts sins as forgiven.
Justification includes both righteousness in place of unrighteousness and remission of unrighteousness. So, yes, blessed is such a man!
Double-down on the privilege, the blessing, the granted favor. It is privilege, it is not because you worked for it. This blessing is gift, from start to finish. This blessing is forgiveness, which corroborates that it’s not something you earned.
If someone fussed at you, “So you’re saying you think you have more privilege than me?” I’d tell you to respond, “No, I’m saying you don’t even know how much more privilege I have than you.”
Conclusion The first blessing from God to man was purpose (Genesis 1:28). Perhaps the next most important is forgiveness (back unto fruitfulness, so in Psalm 1).
Men of faith, and women of faith, need reminders of forgiveness. Men of the world, and women of the world, are desperate for it.
Church, this is where our #blessed riches start. Peace with our Maker and love from the Spirit and lightness of soul aren’t all that God gives, but none of His other gifts mean the same without justification. Our justification by faith alone is the prima facie, that is, the first impression of our jealousy provocation.
God forgives you without needing to ask anyone else. God forgives your neighbor who sinned against you without asking your permission. Blessed are those who are forgiven, and blessed are those who forgive as they have been forgiven (Colossians 3:13). Don’t hold grudges against other believers, because then you are actually holding your grudge against God.
Charge Many years ago I filled up a U-Haul truck with diesel when all big trucks ran on diesel, or so I thought. The problem was, it was not a diesel truck, and it didn’t take long before the truck just quit running, on an eight lane freeway outside Los Angeles in the middle of the night.
Your tank is meant to run on grace, grace which will make you strong. Your tank will conk out, later or sooner, if you run on your strength, trying to earn grace. May you be filled with faith for your work, because you will conk out if you try to put in works first.
Benediction:
[M]ay God make you worthy of his calling and fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:11–12, ESV)
Or, Monergism, Monotheism, and Man’s Morality
Romans 3:27-31
March 13, 2022
Lord’s Day Worship
Sean Higgins
Introduction In his introduction to The Death of Death in the Death of Christ, J. I. Packer summarizes the gospel in three words: God saves sinners. It’s true from start to finish. It acknowledges man’s depravity and inability (man is a sinner who needs saving). It exalts God’s sovereignty and grace (He plans for and provides salvation). It proclaims the Son’s effective propitiation (all for whom the Son atones will be saved). And it has practical consequences for what we say. We have no defense for our sinfulness (Romans 3:19). We have no boast for our righteousness (Romans 3:27).
I’ve already asserted a few times through these first few chapters of Romans that the greater challenge for the gospel (using “challenge” only from the human perspective) is not unrighteousness, but self-righteousness. When God saves sinners, He saves the ones who realize that they’ve done everything wrong, and He saves the ones who think they haven’t messed up quite as bad.
Paul has demonstrated quite persistently that judging others for what we also do is its own kind of evidence against us. He’s held up the perfect standard of God’s law to prove that none of us meet it. And he’s said that not only have all sinned, we have all have fallen short of the glory of God. We’ve failed to live up to the original image. We’ve colored outside the lines (transgression), and haven’t filled in the lines (omission).
It’s why we need someone else’s righteousness. This is the alien righteousness we considered a couple weeks ago, a righteousness that isn’t ours that gets credited to us. God justifies sinners when He imputes righteousness to us, meaning that He regards Christ’s righteousness as ours. In God’s accounting books He has records of all our sins/offenses/wrongs, and none of us could erase them.
Have you investigated (or even invested in) cryptocurrency based on blockchain technology? Lay aside the question of whether or not it’s a useful workaround to government fiat, it provides an interesting analogy. The blockchain only works in one direction; it does not go backward. There is no undo button, no do-overs or restarts. A mistake can only be fixed by a second transaction, there is no reversal.
God justifies us not by forgetting our sin but by paying for it in His Son. He doesn’t undo the consequences, He satisfies His own wrath. This is what makes Him just and the one justifying believers (Romans 3:26). When God forgives He will never use our sin against us (think Psalm 103:12), but that’s because He won’t forget the atonement price paid by Christ. All we can do is rely on Jesus; we add nothing good to the chain. This is why we have nothing to boast about.
In this paragraph, Romans 3:27-31, we see that believing means no boasting in ourselves (salvation is monergistic), that believing is the (only) way to salvation for everyone (salvation is monotheistic), and believing leads to obedience (salvation is unto morality). This is all part of the law of faith, and it’s a law about, and against, boasting.
Faith Leaves No Room for Boasting (verses 27-28) The word boasting is only written once in verse 27 but it is assumed five more times. Paul’s original writing is punchy, but if we wrote it all out, “boasting” would be the subject of six independent clauses, and it would be the subject of the verb excluded five times. Here’s the compact version:
Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith.
Here’s what it would be extended into complete sentences: “Therefore boasting is where? Boasting is excluded. Boasting is excluded through the law of what? Boasting is excluded through the law of works? Boasting is not excluded through the law of works, but boasting is excluded through the law of faith.”
There’s three questions, and the first is expected after the previous paragraph. Where is boasting? Boasting is taking pride in something, bragging, self-congrats, patting ourselves on the back. Where does boasting belong? It’s as if we were looking for her somewhere. But boasting is not invited.
In verses 21-26 all we “got” was verse 23. Everything else was about what God did, what Jesus did. We see God’s grace, God’s justifying, God’s gift, God’s redeeming in Jesus, God’s propitiation in Jesus, God’s patience with sinners, God’s constant work of showing His righteousness in saving sinners. So man’s boasting is right out.
Then we get more contrast on how boasting is excluded, and there are two options: the law of works or the law of faith. First, it’s usually “works of the law” not “the law of works,” even as it must be in verse 28. Second, “the law of faith” seems odd after all the limitations we’ve seen about the law.
Law of faith refers to the defining standard, a presiding principle. This law is higher than the law of works. Our works won’t actually let us boast, but let’s say we wanted to try to boast in our works, which, a lot of men do. Fine. Faith, by definition, looks away from self. Faith leaves no breath for blowing our own trumpet. If we are justified by faith then God has done all the work.
Verse 28 explains it:
for we calculate (that) a man is justified by faith without works of law.
The ESV translates it as we hold, but the verb refers to counting, to calculating, as belongs in the sphere of accounting. When we add up how justification works, the works side is zero and the faith side is full.
Justification is entirely God’s work. This is monergism (from mono meaning one and ergon meaning work, so “the work of one), not synergism (the work of more than one). We don’t work together with Him to save ourselves. We add zero merit. The law of faith rules our boasting out.
Faith Leaves No Room for Polytheism (verses 29-30) Two more questions in verse 29 scratch at the universal law of faith, a law that excludes boasting from Jews and Gentiles.
Or is God the God of the Jews only? Is God not also God of the Gentiles? Yes, God is also God of the Gentiles, since God is one, who will justify the circumcised by faith and will justify the uncircumcised through (the same) faith.
Who is this aimed at? Doesn’t it seem aimed at those most likely to boast? And aren’t the ones most likely to boast the ones Paul took a couple chapters to poke at? The truth is good news for Gentiles, but the rhetoric challenges the Jews.
The since starting verse 30 is especially Jewish: God is one. This is the Jewish thing. Jews were monotheists, believing in “The LORD our God the LORD is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4). Paul uses this very reality to point out that salvation by faith argues for monotheism. All the ones believing, Jew first and also Greek, are saved by the power of one and the same God.
Verse 29 differentiates between the groups ethnically (Jew and Gentile), verse 30 differentiates between them religiously, circumcised and uncircumcised.
By faith and through faith may not be as distinguished as the significance of the article in the second phrase, as if to point out the very same faith.
Monotheism is the argument. There is only one God and God is one. May God’s “way be known on earth, Your saving power among all nations…let all the peoples praise you!” (Psalm 67:2-3). There are not many gods, polytheism, nor is everything god, pantheism. God promised the Jews that He would save them. God did not promise the Gentiles that He would save them, though, God did promise the Jews that He would save the Gentiles.
Faith Leaves No Room for Lawlessness (verse 31) Obviously this paragraph, following the emphasis of the previous paragraph, has been a lot about faith, even recognizing the the law of faith. The faith-standard leaves us no room for boasting in our works. Does the faith-standard also mean that our works don’t matter at all?
Therefore, do we overthrow the law through the faith? May it never be! But we uphold the law.
The law shows us what God wants; it reveals His will. When we look at our lives in the light of the law, we always find that we have missed the mark. We need forgiveness for our disobedience, and no amount of attempted obedience can make up for it. The law points out our need for a Savior (Galatians 3:21-22), and God tells us the only way we can have the Savior is by faith.
And all those believing in the Savior are saved from the penalty of sin, and they are being saved from the power of sin. When Paul says, we uphold the law he isn’t saying that we keep using the law in our evangelism (though we do that, too). He’s saying we look to the law differently, as it serves the law of faith.
Just as there are whole chapters devoted to showing God’s seriousness about saving Israel (just as He promised, Romans 9-11), so there are entire chapters to show God’s graciousness in saving us from slavery to sin (Romans 6-7). We don’t do good works to get justified, we do good works as those who are justified. We are saved by faith alone, and also the gospel brings about “the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations” (Romans 1:5).
If you’ve read our larger “What We Believe” statement, you may remember that the largest section is about how justifying faith is not dead faith, but alive to righteousness. See also Romans 8:3-4. Faith eliminates man’s boasting, not man’s morality.
Conclusion Romans is a ministry of the gospel for believers, for those with faith. If it is true that faith comes by hearing (and it is, Romans 10:17), then as we Christians live from faith to faith, we still need to keep hearing the gospel.
There is more joy without trying to boast in something necessarily inferior. There is more joy with greater understanding by grace and of grace.
Boasting is a killer, it is usually a half truth at best, a potential idolatry at worst, and it never increases fellowship between two people.
The reason that the righteous live by faith (Romans 1:17), and that we cannot please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6), that we walk by faith not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7), is that faith is the law of the world for worshipers in God.
Charge The charge to you today is to live by faith, and as you live by faith you will do great obediences (in prayer, in projects of blessing, in sacrificial partying), and you will boast in God not in your obediences. As you believe, obey, and boast in God, His name will be great among the nations. As Isaiah said, the root of Jesse is the hope of the Gentiles (Romans 15:12), and so we hope in His rule.
Benediction:
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Romans 15:13, ESV)
“Likewise wives subject yourselves to your husbands”
or, “Likewise husbands show honor to your wife as the weaker vessel”
1 Peter 3:1-7
March 6, 2022
Evening Service
Dave Light
Or, Righteousness: Always by Faith and by Faith Alone
Romans 3:21-26
March 6, 2022
Lord’s Day Worship
Sean Higgins
Introduction It is more surprising that anyone is saved than that anyone is damned. We know this. Men argue against it through lying teeth. We all know that there is a God, we all know that God is good, we all know that men who disobey God deserve hell. Pagan theologians don’t describe it exactly the same, it isn’t acknowledged with honesty by every pagan non-theologian. But it is true.
The last part of the list of cultural evil is that men know that those who practice such things deserve to die (Romans 1:32). That’s true even for those without clear connection to God’s law, they at least have a conscience that excuses or accuses (Romans 2:15-16). We know that there is good and bad, and we know that bad can only be paid for by blood.
Men have been making sacrifices for generations not because it’s fun but because it seems like the only thing that might please a god. The hecatomb is a hundred head (of oxen) sacrifice frequently found in the early epics. Even a modern man who fancies himself a comic tweeted, “We should just pin all the debt in the world to one guy and then kill him.”
The first blood sacrifice was in the garden as God killed an animal to make coverings for Adam and Eve. The Law gave more particular instructions, but men have been killing things to appease angry gods without any reference to Moses.
The ache in men’s hearts, acknowledged or not, comes from knowing what they deserve from God. “The wages of sin is death,” and “all have sinned.” All sinners are death-deservers, all men are sinners, therefore all men are death-deservers (a valid logical syllogism, AAA-1). There must be blood.
There was the idea of blood before the existence of flesh and blood. Peter wrote that we are ransomed not by silver or gold, but by the “precious blood of Christ” who was “foreknown before the foundation of the world” (1 Peter 1:18-19). This is quite a statement. God in eternity before Genesis 1:1 anticipated, and believers in eternity forever will celebrate, the blood of the Lamb. Those whom He elects have their names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Revelation 13:18). Blood shed belongs with God’s purpose to show His righteousness, not just in judgment but in justification. Blood shed belongs with God’s purpose to show Himself and His glory.
God’s Law and God’s Prophets pointed toward God’s righteousness, but God’s righteousness was embodied in Christ, and enacted in His death and resurrection. This is the gospel, needed by all and available for all the ones believing. By faith in Jesus Christ we are justified; in Jesus Christ we are redeemed.
Verses 25-26 focus in on Christ Jesus. They are the final parts to the paragraph, and they hinge on the first relative pronoun, “whom,” on which the rest of the paragraph depends. It’s Jesus’ blood that shows God’s righteousness, in His forbearance and His forgiveness, as well as in the Son’s penalty bearing.
“The righteousness of God has been manifested” (verse 21), “the righteousness of God (is being manifested” (verse 22), and now “to show God’s righteousness” two more times (verse 25 and verse 26), four times in the paragraph, a “demonstration” (NASB). It’s out in the open.
Explaining Forbearance (verse 25) The major-league theology word is propitiation, and though we can define it, both verses 25 and 26 explain why it was necessary.
Propitiation refers to making God, or a god, happy again. It was used in the Greek and Roman culture to describe whatever was necessary to regain the goodwill of a deity (BAGD). It was an attempt to fix divine displeasure, to avert divine wrath. In English we also refer to it as expiation, or atonement. It’s making amends, paying reparation for doing wrong.
God is the one offended. And God is the one making offering in order to remove His own wrath.
In verse 25 the propitiation is blood, which, by metonymy, is an attribute that represents death. To avert divine wrath, Jesus died for all who would ever believe, the “righteous for the unrighteous,” that we might recognize and receive God’s righteousness. The basis of propitiation is Jesus’ blood.
This needed to be shown because in His divine forbearance He had passed over former sins. God had “let go” or overlooked (see also Acts 17:30) sins, not in final terms but in public terms. It seems like men had gotten away with a lot of sin. We see that a sinner dies, but this also means that a sinner’s death is punishment, not propitiation. The sinner’s bodily death pleases God only so far as God is pleased with justice, but it does not please God for sake of making peace with God.
For years and decades and centuries God had been passing over sins in the sense that the full weight of judgment was not poured out. Even the sacrifices that the Jews made to the Lord, following the Lord’s instructions, were only accepted by Him as a type or token of Christ’s blood.
[Christ] entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. (Hebrews 9:12–14 ESV)
As emphasized in the first few verses of the paragraph, the only way that this propitiation counts on our behalf is when we believe, through faith. The way we appropriate Jesus’ propitiation is by believing.
Explaining Forgiveness (verse 26) This is the more surprising demonstration. Again we see the phrase to show His righteousness, and the concern is to do it at the present time, so that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Just is the adjective form of the noun righteousness, and justifier is the verb form belonging to the same word-group.
It would be unjust for God to forgive without settling the account. For Him to justify the ungodly, to treat sinners as righteous without dealing with their unrighteousness would make Him unrighteous. Forgiveness isn’t fair without the cross. Someone has to pay. Though it looked like (to some) God was letting men get away with sin because the sentence wasn’t executed speedily, no one is getting away, no not one.
The nature of God is such that He is holy, He is just, He is attentive, He is sacrificial. To show His righteousness and His love He lifted up Jesus on he cross (think John 8:24-28).
The cross was not cosmic “child abuse.” The Son took up His cross willingly. The Trinity worked as one God in three Persons, that God might be just and justifier.
Salvation does not come by divine empathy, but by divine propitiation. It was not divine endurance, as if time could cause Him to forget. Forgiveness comes at a cost, and the Father and Son and Spirit work as God to satisfy the standards of justice that can’t be separated from His own character.
Conclusion Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A 12:
Q. According to God’s righteous judgment we deserve punishment both now and in eternity: how then can we escape this punishment and return to God’s favor?
A. God requires that his justice be satisfied. Therefore the claims of this justice must be paid in full, either by ourselves or by another.
We cannot make this payment ourselves, the only mediator is “our Lord Jesus Christ who was given to us to completely deliver us and make us right with God” (Q&A 18).
How is propitiation effective for you? You can learn about propitiation, but defining it is only as meaningful as a picture is of another person. How is propitiation more than two-dimensional in your faith?
Do you know yourself to be freed from God’s wrath by grace? Those who believe have peace with God (Romans 5:1, 8:1). Those who believe are to be ruled by peace (Colossians 3:15). The fear of the Lord is not the fear of His wrath, but awe at His wrath and His mercy that has delivered us from it.
And so stop making others pay. When it comes to sins against you, you are not just, neither are you judge or justifier. Forgive as you’ve been forgiven, freely, and at someone else’s cost. God says vengeance is His.
All religious roads lead to the same place: God’s judgment seat. Every man will have to answer for himself according to God’s righteous standard. Only those who believe in God’s Son, the One who fulfilled the standard and offers His righteousness, will know that God’s wrath against them has been satisfied by Christ’s work on the cross.
Charge God has shown grace to you by giving His own Son to bear your judgment (Romans 3:24). God promises to show grace to you when He sends His Son again (1 Peter 1:13). And God gives grace to you now, right now, in every upcoming now and when then becomes the new now, because He is the God of all grace (1 Peter 5:10). Stand in His grace (Romans 5:2), live out your holy calling by grace (2 Timothy 1:9).
Benediction:
“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen. (Revelation 22:12–13, 20–21, ESV)
Or, Righteousness: Always by Faith and by Faith Alone
Romans 3:21-26
February 27, 2022
Lord’s Day Worship
Sean Higgins
Introduction It would be challenging to find a more important paragraph in the New Testament. The truth in it depends on the realities about Jesus’ life and death and resurrection recorded for us in the Gospels. But if 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 is the summary of gospel history, then Romans 3:21-26 is the cream that rises to the top of gospel theology.
A couple brief comments: I love paragraphs, and what they lack in terms of navigation helps—which chapters and verses provide—they make up for in interpretation parameters. I love copies of Scripture that make the paragraphs clear, and I usually preach paragraph by paragraph.
This paragraph is about the power and grace of God’s righteousness. Having spent a couple chapters proving that righteousness is needed, now Paul will spend a couple chapters showing how righteousness has been procured (by the sacrifice of Christ) and is being provided (by the gracious yet just Father).
I’m going to take a couple whacks at this paragraph, and for a couple reasons. First, there is that much relief to rejoice over; there’s no benefit to skim too quickly over the depths of our comfort. Second, there will be a lot to hear today, including the seminar. Besides, when it comes to the preaching part of my job I have been wanting to do better getting you the food but not making you sit so long. There are practical concerns and trade-offs when it comes to preaching paragraphs, and you are mostly and consistently gracious however much I cover, but it is my desire to honor the Lord and His Word while serving you well.
Verses 21-26 are grammatically one sentence (punctuated differently by various translations, the NASB acknowledges one sentence), though verses 25-26 drill in on Christ Jesus in a way that will let us exalt Him as our propitiation next week.
Righteousness for Any Believer (verses 21-22a) The subject is the righteousness of God and it is spelled out twice. The action is one of revelation, of disclosure, and though the verb manifested is explicit only once it is implied another time. There is a contrast between how righteousness is, and is not, made manifest.
Verse 21 introduces the second major heading of the letter. Paul greeted the Romans and shared his theme that in the gospel “the righteousness of God is revealed” (Romans 1:17), but since Romans 1:18 he has been showing that God’s righteousness is being revealed through God’s judgment on those who are not righteous. Whether or not men care, this is their condition. Whether or not men wish they could do something about it, they can’t. This paragraph beginning in 3:21 is the hinge into God’s righteousness being revealed through justification.
“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it, (but) the righteousness of God (is being manifested) through faith in Jesus Christ for all the ones believing.”
A new page has been turned but the book is still the same. Now we know more than even the Jews knew before the Messiah came. They had God’s standards, but no one kept them, “not even one” (Romans 3:12). According to 3:20, a man’s works were never meant to merit or earn a right standing with God, though the law meant that he could rightly assess his works. Not just “now” as a new section of the letter, but “now” as a new season of manifestation.
The gospel does not reveal a new or second way to salvation. Paul will illustrate this with Abraham and David in chapter 4, but here he is careful to show the continuity of God’s righteousness as being witnessed to by the Law and the Prophets, a thing that is still true. Justification by faith is not a Pauline invention, it is prophetic. This kind of righteousness from God has always not been by good works.
It has always been through faith, and now that faith clearly looks to Jesus Christ, known by name, and by His obedience and fulfillment of the Law and His fulfillment of the prophecies that anticipated His sacrifice.
God’s righteousness in men is received through faith and God’s righteousness is for all the ones believing (a plural substantival participle).
How do those who do not understand (verse 11), who do not seek for God (verse 11), who have turned aside (verse 12), who know no peace (verse 17), who do not fear God (verse 18), come to believe? This is a crucial question that Paul will answer later in the letter. Here the “all” part here gets explained in the last part of verse 22 and into verse 23, but the emphasis is on the “believing” ones. Believe!
The contrast of how righteousness is and is not manifested in verses 21 and 22 is the reason for sola fide. It is by believing alone that this righteousness is shown.
“I know very well that here, Romans 3, the word (Sola) is not in the Latin and Greek text, and it was not necessary for the Papists to teach me that. It is true, these four letters, S O L A. are not in it, which letters the jack-asses look at as a cow looks at a new gate; but they do not see that nevertheless, it expresses the meaning of the text; and if our German translation is to be clear and powerful, it ought to be put in….” —Martin Luther
(Calvin has a similar, but less fun comment in his commentary to the same end about sola). Man does not cooperate or coordinate or contribute to his justification through any works, but he receives it through faith. The law can’t produce justification but it does point us to the one who justifies.
Righteousness for Any Sinner (verses 22b-24) Observe the two “for”s, one finishing verse 22 and the other beginning verse 23. The first modifies the “all” part of the believing and the second modifies the modification.
“for there is no distinction, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
The statement that there is no distinction has numerous applications, but in context it means that neither Jews or Gentiles can be righteous by their works, and both Jews and Gentiles can be righteous by faith. Imagine one line between the guilty and not-guilty, by that criterion there is no difference at all between those standing on the guilty side.
Verse 23 clarifies what they share: unrighteousness.
Romans 3:23 is the go-to passage for a quick quote on why men need salvation: all sinned and are falling short of the glory of God. Sinned is a summary (aorist tense), an assertion of what’s happened, and we can refer back to verses 9-18 for examples. Paul will explain our corporate guilt in Adam, but this is not that. The word hamartano (ἁμαρτάνω) means “I sin,” I do wrong, and the nuance seems to be transgression, as in being told what line not to cross and crossing it; it departs from the standard.
The second description is current, a present (tense) lack, are falling short. The nuance here seems to be failing as being told what line to match and not getting there; a different sort of not reaching the standard.
It is an instructive statement. It assumes that the kind of glory God has is the kind of glory we’re to be living up to. Verse 23 isn’t about our liturgical failure, not giving glory to God (Murray), or a confessional failure, not defining the glory of God, but a lifestyle and conduct failure. Both sins of commission and omission are in verse 23.
The best news is that righteousness doesn’t come from our works anyway.
“being justified freely by His grace through the redemption, that which is in Christ Jesus.”
“Righteous” and “just” and “justified” all belong to the same Greek word-group (from δικαιόω), but in English we usually use one word for the attribute and another for the activity. To justify is to “render a favorable verdict, treat as just” (BAGD), to consider as righteous. The doctrine of justification is the doctrine of having righteousness credited to us. It is the doctrine of Romans.
It’s been called forensic righteousness, with a legal, courtroom emphasis. We stand guilty as charged before God as Judge, and He justifies us with a forgiven and free status. This is God’s work, and it is His free work, we’re justified freely, connected to the Greek word for “gift,” and it is His kind work, justified by His grace. He initiates, He makes the declaration, it is not earned by men.
Luther called it “alien righteousness” (iustitia aliena), that is a righteousness outside us. In his commentary on Galatians Luther says we are simul justus et peccator, simultaneously just and sinful. God, however, is just and Justifier (see 3:26).
Our justification comes from God the Father through His Son’s work. Redemption is another word belonging to our salvation. I guess there are people who don’t like the courtroom ideas, I guess there are other people who don’t appreciate the purchasing or ransoming work. But this is good news, as if we were prisoners and He buys our freedom. In gospel terms, all are yours, forgiveness and righteousness and freedom and adoption. Christ redeems, He propitiates, He atones.
There is, perhaps, no passage in the whole Scripture which illustrates in a more striking manner the efficacy of his righteousness; for it shows that God’s mercy is the efficient cause, that Christ with his blood is the meritorious cause, that the formal or instrumental cause is faith in the word, and that, moreover, the final cause is the glory of the divine justice and goodness. —John Calvin
Verses 25-26 drill down on Christ Jesus, He whom God put forward, enabling Him to be just and the justifier, and next Sunday.
Conclusion Salvation by faith alone can be, and has been, abused a myriad of ways. Paul himself will deal with wrongheaded responses at least in chapter 6. And yet, as you may have heard other people say, if we don’t preach the gospel in such a way that it could be criticized as too easy, just by faith, then we are not preaching it freely enough.
Yes, justification and sanctification must go together, and also they must be distinguished. We are to learn to obey everything that Christ commanded but we are not saved because of any work we do. It has been always by faith and by faith alone.
Charge Don’t boast in your wisdom, your might, your riches (Jeremiah 9:23). Don’t boast in your works (Romans 3:27). Boast in the name of the Lord (Psalm 44:8). Boast in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (Galatians 6:14). Boast in the righteousness of God through faith. And because of His grace, do good in such a way that your works boast on His behalf.
Benediction:
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. (2 Thessalonians 2:16–17, ESV)
Or, The Law of the God-Seeker
Romans 3:9-20
February 20, 2022
Lord’s Day Worship
Sean Higgins
Introduction There are at least three great reasons to be a Calvinist: 1) other people, 2) my heart, 3) God’s Word. It’s the Bible that has the ultimate authority, but personal experience and observation affirm the Scripture.
Maybe you’ve heard of the “cage stage” of Calvinism, where enthusiasm (for a newly understood theological perspective) is rabid and needs some restraints. But by (irresistible) grace you may get to the Sage Stage, where you don’t even care if other people use the words, but you know the truth anyway.
Here is a foundational truth: people are not “good.” In general people are not good, and no person is generally good. Doing good is inconsistent with what most people actually believe, it is inconsistent with who most people are. The problem that people have is not a bad environment; people are the ones who make their environment bad. The problem is not that people don’t know enough; people are the ones who reject education. We choose not to learn. I don’t say this from a position of superiority; I am one of these people.
This doesn’t mean that every man is as bad or evil as he could be. The Bible explains how that’s possible, and it’s something we can be thankful about, but we’re thankful to God for it, not men. Every single day we’re confronted by what we see in the media and what we see in the mirror. It’s not a good picture, and the biggest surprise is that it’s not worse.
The evil in men and committed by men is a symptom of a systemic problem. While it may not present itself in the same way, it starts with how a man relates to God, or, more specifically, how he refuses to.
This is where Paul began in Romans 1:18. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against those who know enough from creation to know that there is a God who governs and gives but who still refuse to honor God or give Him thanks. Out of that spiritual reality their minds can’t process reality and they become more and more blind to it. Their minds are darkened and debased, and out of that their conduct is disobedient to God’s standards and dishonorable. Sure, they try to redefine all this to say that they are free and fulfilled, but this is like putting a gold-colored twist-tie in a pig’s snout (compare with Proverbs 11:22).
Even the ones who retain more of their sense of morality undermine it by hypocritical behavior (starting in Romans 2:1) and, for Paul, none represented that better than the Jews (Romans 2:17), the ones chosen by God as a nation to receive God’s law and God’s blessings, who still didn’t obey.
All men are sinners, all men need the good news of salvation in Christ. They need deliverance from depravity, from their innate nature of wrath (Ephesians 2:3). It’s the first petal of TULIP, Total Depravity, and whether you call it that or total inability or radical corruption or spiritual death (Ephesians 2:1), it means that from head to toe, from heart to tongue, from inside to society, all men stand guilty as charged before God and cannot do any amount of good works to overcome their condition.
Paul rests his case in Romans 3:9-20 as he prepares to launch into the gospel of justification by faith alone in 3:21 and following. There isn’t anyone who doesn’t need the gospel because there isn’t anyone who, on his own, knows and seeks and loves and obeys God. Not even one.
We can see three steps in this summary sequence, as if Paul was in a courtroom: 1) The Indictment, 2) The Testimony, 3) The Verdict
The Indictment (verse 9) “What then?” is the first question that prepares for the summary.
The second question in verse 9 requires us to answer some questions about it. Who are the “we”? The ESV adds the word “Jews”: “are we (Jews) any better off?” But in Greek the question is only one word, “are we having advantages?” “Are we better off?” (NET). Who are the “we”? Better off how?
“We” could be Jews. Paul was a Jew, and he’s been talking about Jews since 2:17. What’s challenging is that he just asked and answered that Jews do have advantages (3:1-2). Yet it makes less sense to say there is a third group, such as Christians, because he’s about to bring it back to only two categories, Jew and Gentile.
It seems that he recognizes it is difficult for the Jews to be thankful for their God-given, distinctive benefits and still help them realize that those benefits, by themselves, are not sufficient. Even if they really thought that they could follow all the law, which none did, it wouldn’t be sufficient for salvation. Like those in Revelation 3:17, they thought, after all of this, that they didn’t have need.
For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Gentiles, are under sin.
The scandalous part, at least for Jews, would be to include Jews in the accusation. The serious part, though, is being “under sin.” It’s a simple phrase, but so are phrases such as under water, or in debt. The relationship is defined, and all men, no matter their religious backgrounds, their possession of the Torah (like Jews) or their production of idols (like Greeks), are dominated by sin. As Paul illustrated in chapter 6:16-19, we are slaves to sin, sin is every man’s master. The great tyrant of all is sin.
The Testimony (verses 10-19) There is no list this long in any of Paul’s other letters. He quotes from six Old Testament passages, which some have called a catena, a chain.
This is the evidence, which has more authority than his experience. Some flow could be seen in three groupings and the conclusion, and the point is that none are good, not even one.
The Character of the Accused (verses 10-12)
as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
All have turned aside; together they have
become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
(Romans 3:10–12 ESV)
It’s mostly from Psalm 14:1-3, and it is comprehensive, exhaustive, universal. Five times we read a version of the phrase “there is not one.” It’s a great start for a good proof text for total depravity. In terms of ethics (“righteous”), in terms of truth (“understands”), in terms of worship (“seeks for God”), no one gets it, and have become “worthless” in the process. “Like salt that has lost its savour or as fruit that is rotten no longer serves any useful purpose, so all men are viewed as having ‘gone bad’” (John Murray).
Someone says, “But I know a guy…” But you don’t know a guy who is pleasing God who isn’t explicitly praising God, and no one does that on his own.
The Conversation of the Accused (verses 13-14) These quotes are from a few places, but making the same point. Want to find depravity in action? Just listen to how men talk.
“Their throat is an open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive.”
“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
“Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
(Romans 3:13–14 ESV)
Throat, tongue, lips, then the whole mouth; from the inside out. An “open grave” could emphasize that what comes out is rotten as if from a corpse, or it could emphasize that the words swallow up others to death (see Psalm 5:9). Tongues “deceive” and for all kinds of reasons. Lips conceal poison (see Psalm 140:3). Their vocabulary is like venom. Their speech hygiene is hellish (“the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness….setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell” James 3:6). The mouth is “full of curses and bitterness” (Psalm 10:7), which is grumbling and blaming on others.
Social media has not made men into monsters, though it has amplified our voices and provided a streaming record for us to add our own complaining comments.
The Conduct of the Accused (verses 15-17) They are hating their neighbors, shown in another combination of passages.
“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
in their paths are ruin and misery,
and the way of peace they have not known.”
(Romans 3:15–17 ESV)
From the head/mouth to the feet (as in Isaiah 59:7-8). They run to cause hurt, they don’t stumble into you. They intended to ruin your reputation, to take all your stuff. One of them surely has a Twitter bio that says, “I’m coming at you, bro.” They leave a trail of destruction and sadness behind them. They don’t know peace. It’s not whether or not, but how much drama swirls around them.
The Motive of the Accused (verse 18) This is the core of the problem.
“There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Romans 3:18 ESV)
This quotes Psalm 36:1. “Inhumanity commonly follows where there is ignorance of God” (John Calvin).
The Ruling (verses 19-20)
Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. (Romans 3:19–20 ESV)
None of the quotations were from the Pentateuch, the Law “proper.” Most are from the Psalms and a couple from the Prophets. One implication is that we see how Paul uses the word “law” in a broad sense for the Old Testament. Another implication is that “the whole world” (πᾶς ὁ κόσμος) is accountable to this law, a universally applicable law, whether or not they’d ever read Moses.
To be “held accountable to God” is to be answerable to Him (see also Hebrews 4:13).
No public defender, not even the most expensive attorney, has anything to say. Every one is guilty as charged, not even one can justify himself.
Conclusion Do men seek God? Paul says in Romans 3:11, quoting Psalm 14, NO. It’s also true that Paul told the men in Athens:
[God] made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. (Acts 17:26–27 ESV)
What I’m calling the “law of the God-seeker” has a double meaning. First, this law says that there are no God-seekers. Second, if there is a God-seeker, he needs to be brought before God’s law that he might give up his excuses.
The Sage Stage Calvinist can hold these things together.
A man could if, and only if, God’s is working in him. Any acknowledgement on his part is a grace, though it may be common, as in, a grace that increases his accountability rather than bringing him to eternal life. And if you run in to a seeker, what they need is the law, that they might have knowledge of sin, that they would believe in Christ who fulfilled it perfectly.
So the law says that men, under sin and on their own, do not seek God. There is no one who seeks God. And, if they do give the outward appearance of seeking God, they should be exposed to His law, so that they can stop their excuses. They have no good answer.
Bring them to the Psalms. You don’t have to master the law in Leviticus to be effective. Follow the apostolic example.
And let’s be honest, the group that has the hardest time giving up their defenses is the religious people. The catena of OT quotes are piled up against the walls of the Jews. They didn’t have any problem at all seeing how the Gentiles needed to shut their mouths before God. Paul says, “Duh, and you, too.”
Charge This morning we’ve been exhorted not to be discontent (but patient), not defensive (but humbled before God’s law), not divided (but sharing in His feast). You are a disciple of Christ. Follow His example (1 Peter 2:21), follow Him. God will supply every need for you according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).
Benediction:
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. (2 Peter 1:3–4, ESV)
Or, Can Any Good Come from Evil?
Romans 3:5-8
February 13, 2022
Lord’s Day Worship
Sean Higgins
Introduction The first time I read the following argument was in the fall of 1993 by a man named Erasmus. He wrote that some parts of the Bible are too difficult to understand, are likely to cause confusion, maybe even will lead to heretical teaching, and should therefore be untouched, certainly by untrained men and probably even by the academic theologians. Then I read Martin Luther’s response, which could be summed up as: Who do you think you are to know better what God Himself should or should not say? How arrogant does a man have to be to edit God and claim it’s for God’s own good? Of course, God can, and does take care of Himself, no thanks to us.
Whether we know it or not, whether we like it or not, whether the Prince of Darkness and the earthly powers rage against it, “God’s truth abideth still,” so we sing with Luther in “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” And it is truth, as revealed in God’s Word, that is above all those earthly powers. We should respect it, and receive it, not redact any of it. We use neither scissors of black Sharpies on our Bibles. We open the Book, read the Word, and pray that God would open our eyes to behold wondrous things in it.
That doesn’t mean that we immediately, easily, or necessarily ever fully understand it, not while in these mortal bodies. History, even church history, is littered with false teachers, with those who deliberately misunderstand and misrepresent God’s revelation. The apostle Peter, writing by the Holy Spirit’s guidance, wrote that some of Paul’s writings were “hard to understand,” and that “the ignorant and unstable twist (them) to their own destruction” (2 Peter 3:16). These are “lawless people” (verse 17) in their behavior even if they claim to be teachers of the law (see 1 Timothy 1:7). There are some hot takes so bad only a religious person could make them.
I say all that to introduce the next paragraph in Romans 3 where Paul acknowledges some willful accusations against his teaching about the relationship between God’s sovereignty and God’s righteousness. In these verses we have less explanation, but a great example and great encouragement for those with an ear to hear. Any problems we find do not lie with God’s Word.
We’ve been confronted with the need for the gospel since Romans 1:18. God’s wrath is revealed on those who despise His revelation. His glory is seen and magnified as He judges those who exchange the truth for a lie, who know God’s decree and who do the debased things anyway. We also saw that those who have enough moral conscience to condemn others are storing up wrath for themselves as they do the same things. And then we’ve seen Paul keep poking at Jewish pride since 2:17, those who boasted in the externals of religion rather than believing in their hearts.
The case of the Jews is especially important for Paul, not only because he was one, but also because they are a people with unique privilege, a people who had been chosen by God according to God’s sovereign grace, a people who had a covenant with God, many of whom rejected the Messiah, rejected God’s righteousness by faith, and were in danger of God’s wrath. How could this nation who had the law and the oracles and the circumcision be so unfaithful? Even more, is God sovereign over that unfaithfulness? And if He is, is it righteous for Him to hold men responsible for it?
Those are questions that have been making men squirmy and squirrelly long before our current effeminate Evangelicalism. Erasmus tried to get God off the hook for what he took as a bad look in the 16th century, Pelagius tried in the 5th century, and at least some were doing it in the 1st century. These sorts were always the first in line to talk to Paul after his sessions at the regional conference. He provides the Roman readers with the problem and the right perspective.
Fair Judgment? (verses 5-6) There are five questions in four verses. Four of the questions seem to be criticisms and one of the questions is actually an answer. That answer comes at the end of the first issue.
But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) By no means! For then how could God judge the world? (Romans 3:5–6)
This is really important. There is no reason to ask the second question if the content of the first question isn’t true. We could state it as a declarative rather than an interrogative: “our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God.” I emphasized in chapter 1 that God has set up the world in such a way as to show His glory, including when He glorifies His righteous judgment. Unthankful rebels provide Him the platform to display His excellent wrath. The only reason to bother asking if this is fair is if it’s true.
What is wrong is any implied application that God is wrong, not man.
One option is that we could say: “God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us” since He gets what He wants. There are two problems with that answer.
First, this is only the human perspective: “(I speak in a human way.)” This line of questions comes from man’s defensiveness, from man’s bias toward self-justification, and also from his limitations. Paul almost doesn’t even want to say it on behalf of the objector; it’s an example of conceited complaining about what one doesn’t comprehend (Calvin).
Second, it is impossible. “May it never be!” for the second time in chapter 3. God cannot be anything other than faithful (verse 3), and He cannot be anything other than righteous. It is a fallacy by divine rule. Paul’s follow up is, “For then how could God judge the world?” There is no argument to prove that there is a God or that He is a judge or that He will judge the world. The assumed foundation is in the question. He’s going to do it so of course He must do it rightly.
Rise up, O judge of the earth;
repay to the proud what they deserve!
(Psalm 94:2)
God’s righteousness is. He is “holy, holy, holy.” Righteousness, an attribute of always acting according to the standard, is an unmistakeable and inseparable attribute of His. He can’t not be righteous. He determined His plan in righteousness, He is working out His plan in righteousness, and the goal will be righteous all the way to the final judgment. All things are from Him and through Him and to Him; at no point is there a missing gap of righteousness.
The Jews’ rejection of Jesus, and the judgment on them for doing so, is part of God’s plan AND part of His righteousness, and there is a lot more about this in chapters 9-11 which concludes with a doxology to God’s wisdom (11:33-36).
Fair Condemnation? (verses 7-8) The next two questions are steps across the same bridge, just a little more brazen. Paul’s response is also more blunt.
But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just. (Romans 3:7–8)
Obviously something is wrong here since Paul calls it slander. But what is the problem?
As in verses 5-6, two things are happening, and the objectors distort the truth by only allowing for one. God’s truth aboundeth still, even when a sinner lies AND the liar is condemned as a liar. God is sovereign all the way through, not just after the fact in His response, and a man is responsible. No man is outside of God’s omniscient exercise of His omnipotence, and no man can claim he’s innocent.
It’s the same with the good and evil question. Good has come from evil, more on that in a moment. The problem is that the objector, the slanderer, wants to use that as a cover to indulge himself. He wants to blame his sinful desires on God’s system.
It may seem bold to say that good has come from evil, but it would be biblically blind to say otherwise.
The nation of Israel was spared because Joseph’s brothers hated him and sold him. Joseph summarized it, “you meant it for evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring about that many people should be kept alive” (Genesis 50:20). If no evil, then no nation. No nation would have kept some of them from becoming religious hypocrites, but God preserved them even through sinful agents.
The promise in Romans 8:28 either includes evil or it is a false promise. “All things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.” Why is this valuable? Because we currently suffer the effects of evil, on creation and in our interactions with evil accusers and persecutors. Who questions if all good things work together for good?
This includes the fact that we Gentiles are here because the Jews rejected Jesus, “through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous” (Romans 11:11).
Most of all, we have no salvation apart from the gospel that came out of the evil.
this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. (Acts 2:23)
truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. (Acts 4:27–28)
The most evil act ever was predestined by God, presided over in every detail by God (Luke 24:44-46), and yet performed by wicked men whose judgment will be worse than that of Sodom and Gomorrah.
The just condemnation deserved by those Paul references here was due to their sinful slander of God, as if God delights in evil, and their sin. They were “right” in terms of God’s sovereignty but wrong in terms of how His sovereignty works.
Conclusion You may find a couple categories to be useful when trying to hold these truths together in your mind: God’s revealed will and God’s ordained will. The two are not in contradiction, but they are not visible at the same time in the same way. His revealed will is in His Word, the law, commandments and prohibitions. Anyone who transgresses or who fails to live up to them is guilty of sin (Romans 3:23).
Also, God is God and ordains all things, including the hearts of kings (Proverbs 21:1) and Pharaohs (Exodus 4:21) and Pharisees, sinners and satan himself. In the story, everything is under the Author’s dominion, and He does whatever He pleases (Psalm 115:3). This is why we don’t have to fear what man can do to us, although man has no excuse. God’s ordained-from-before-the-foundation-of-the-world-will will and is happening, and He is always righteous.
While we receive these truths we also remember God’s character. It’s His kindness that is meant to lead to repentance. Remember His generosity, giving good to the ungrateful in creation and in His special communication. Remember that He is steadfast love. He is wiser and truer than we have capacity to grasp. He is more righteous and more loving than we will ever fully know. While we work at increasing our understanding of Him, our limited perspective is no hindrance to trusting Him. Trust Him. Look to the cross. There is no greater picture of righteousness on display, putting the judgment we deserved onto His perfect Son through the evil of men’s hating hearts and murderous hands. Righteousness shined out of that dark scene, and God’s truth aboundeth still.
Charge Truth is not only sometimes stranger than fiction, the truth is, truth is more glorious than fiction.
So you ought to speak the truth. You ought to evangelize, not because you feel guilty about not doing it, but because you feel the weight of how great the truth is.
Our God overcomes evil with good. Our God’s truth aboundeth still. Just don’t lie and you’ll really have something to say.
Benediction:
Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love. (2 John 1:3, ESV)
Or, Trusting God When the “Faithful” Aren’t
Romans 3:1-4
February 6, 2022
Lord’s Day Worship
Sean Higgins
Introduction There is a wonderful simplicity in the Christian life and in the worship of the church. It is so simple that in one sense a definition is not needed. What is needed is faith in God through Jesus His Son. The “student” nuance of the word disciple isn’t as helpful as the “follower” emphasis. There really is a distinction between knowing God and knowing about God. There is a distinction between going through religious motions and loving the motions because of loving the Lord.
It’s also true that being alive is fairly simple: breath, eat, drink, sleep. Do you need to track your calories and steps and REM cycle minutes? All the generations before us stayed alive (long enough) to see the next generation without collecting any such stats. When you look into it more closely, the body is wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). The body has a lot of moving parts, and especially when something goes wrong, you may be benefited by more specific study than eating a cheeseburger and taking a nap.
As we get to know God Himself we do find that He is wonderful. He is full of wonder and He does wondrous works.
Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
(Psalm 145:3–5)
He shows you who He is, what He cares about (including you), and how all creation and chronology are under His creative control. Should we be surprised that our God, whose thoughts and ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:9), authors a story with some thick characters (thick as in not skinny, and thick as in not so smart) and subtle tensions and plot twists? We could be dismissive of these wonders and say we don’t care, but we wouldn’t do that to a friend, let alone our heavenly Father. We could freak out and say we can’t keep track of all these wonders and worry that we’ll get it wrong. Or we can say, “This is our God. Tell us more!”
There is milk and meat in Romans 3:1-8. There are ABC level and 500 level realities. They are given to us so that we might not miss God. There is story, there is theology and theology proper. There are Jew/Gentile, sovereignty/responsibility, Covenantal/Dispy, revealed/ordained will matters. There are warnings and encouragements. All are ours if we receive it from God from faith to faith.
Romans reveals the righteousness of God in the gospel (Romans 1:17). There are two species of gospel-needers: the unrighteous and the selfrighteous. The unrighteous refuse to thank God and God gives them over to what they think they wanted which destroys them. The self-righteous may thank God with their lips, and they have been given special privileges, but they think that’s enough. Paul addressed the need of the unrighteous first but he writes about the need of the self-righteous more. Both need salvation, both need faith.
In the last half of Romans 2 the Jew is ultimate example in privilege and pretense and in missing the point. The Gentiles who don’t worship God blaspheme Him without good reason on their own, and the Gentiles blaspheme God with good reason due to the hypocritical, sanctimonious people in Israel (2:24). The Jews had God’s Word but many didn’t follow it. They had the seal (of circumcision) but not the heart for it. The outward only goes so far, even when the outward is God-given.
Does that mean all the externals are worthless? Even more, does that mean God’s choice of, and promises to, the Jews were worthless? And if He is sovereign, and if all this refusal-of-thanks happens for His glory in the end, then how can He judge and punish with justice all the so-called puppets who are just doing what He predestined?
These are questions that Paul raises, questions he probably had heard in response to his previous teaching, questions that the self-righteous might use to defend themselves from actual submission and thanks to God.
Verses 1-4 ask and answer if we can trust God’s faithfulness. Verses 5-8 ask and answer if we can trust God’s righteousness.
Questions about Jewish Advantage (verses 1-2) There was no chapter break in the original letter. Our 3:1 does move into the next step of Paul’s warning, but he’s still aiming at the self-righteous Jew.
Paul just said that the outward (sign) doesn’t matter, and that a Jew is one inwardly (2:28-29). Then why are we even bothering to talk about Jews at all? Because the LORD did, and does.
Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. (Romans 3:1–2)
These questions belong with the outward and physical, the things that distinguished a Jew from a non-Jew, even when those Jews wrongly wanted the praise of men.
You were a Jew, in this outward sense, if your dad was a Jew, even if you hated the sacrifices. You were a Jew if you listened to the law and broke it, and you would be judged with stricter judgment because of being a Jew. You were a Jew if you were circumcised and lived as a citizen of Israel even if you didn’t love the Lord with all your circumcised heart.
So there are two types of Jew, one only outwardly and one not only outwardly. (There is not a third sort, an only inwardly one).
Jews are the “children of Israel.” This does not refer only to those who were circumcised in heart. For example, when God said to Moses, “I will bring my hosts, my people, the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt” (Exodus 7:4), this did not mean that God left some of the nation of Israel behind in Egypt and only delivered the true believers.
Is it possible that this example doesn’t fit, if all in Israel believed at that time (as demonstrated by painting their doorposts with blood)?
If each and every person in Israel did believe, great, and why can’t we look forward to the same thing again in the future in the fulfillment of the New Covenant as Paul refers to in Romans 11:25, “all Israel will be saved”?
Yet, based on the old covenant reality that the Spirit did not indwell every man who was part of the covenant, and based on the historical reality that many Jews grumbled even after their deliverance from national slavery, it appears that again, a Jew could be saved by the LORD and not saved in every way.
As Paul pointed out in Romans 2:17-29, being that kind of Jew wasn’t enough for sake of true righteousness. A man could be delivered (from enemies, or from Egypt) because he was a Jew outwardly, and also not be delivered (from his sin) because he was not a Jew inwardly.
Was it an advantage? We might expect that after all of this the answer would be no. But Paul says Yes! Much in every way, especially in terms of having the oracles (see Psalm 147:19-20). That was just to begin with, though Paul doesn’t add to the list here. Unlike other nations, Israel had “Thus says the LORD,” in the Law and the Prophets (see Matthew 5:17; Acts 24:14, 28:23; Romans 3:21). Did that make Jews automatically good before God? “No, not at all” (Romans 3:9). It is advantage to know you have a need.
Questions about Jewish Unfaithfulness (verses 3-4) The next set of questions in verse 3 introduces a subject that will take up three chapters later in the letter (9-11). For now it’s enough for Paul to explain that the failure of an outward-only Jew to come into an also-inward Jew’s faith does not mean God has been unfaithful.
What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written,
“That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.”
(Romans 3:3–4 ESV)
Actually some have been unfaithful. There is a question at this point whether a circumcised-in-part Jew would also be a circumcised-in-heart Jew. The gospel is for the Jew first (Romans 1:16), and when the Christ came to His own people (the Jews) many of His own people did not receive Him (John 1:11). “If some were unfaithful” is not a rhetorical question it is an historical reality.
Does that make God’s word, His choice of, and promises to, the Jews, no good?
There are a number of ways to answer this. Chapter 9 gives one way, chapter 11 another. For now the answer is, If you really knew God you’d know it’s impossible.
By no means! or “May it never be!” (NASB) or “God forbid!” (KJV) are various ways the Greek phrase μὴ γένοιτο has been translated. It is the strongest language Paul used to emphasize how wrong something is, at least in polite Greek. Of course God is faithful. He is the definition of faithful, of remaining loyal and steadfast.
His faithfulness is untouchable as well as unbreakable. His faithfulness is not up to our scoring, as if we could teach Him how to do it or grade Him on a test. He is the original and ultimate faithful one. We have a taste of faithfulness because He exists in it.
Even if every man were to campaign against God, to slander Him and cast shade, He remains true. Trust Him. Praise Him. None can cancel Him.
The Scripture Paul references is from Psalm 51:4. It’s the song of David’s lament and confession of sin with Bathsheba after Nathan rebuked him. The verse begins,
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
(Psalm 51:4a)
That leads David to acknowledge that God’s perspective and punishments, God’s “words” and “judgment” are right. David was a Jew, a son of Jesse, circumcised on the eighth day into the covenant of Israel. David went to battle in the name of the LORD for the name of the LORD (1 Samuel 17:45). The Lord chose David to be king over Israel, whom God said to be “a man after my own heart” (Acts 13:22, from Psalm 89:20 and 1 Samuel 13:14).
Who more than David had external gifts, more outward signs of God’s faithfulness and blessing? Yet when David sinned David knew it was not God’s fault and that God’s rebuke was right. He knew that only God’s righteousness could cover his blood-guiltiness (Psalm 51:14). God must do the washing, blotting out transgressions according to God’s abundant mercy, according to God’s steadfast love (Psalm 51:1-2).
When it comes to people with God-given privileges, who still are ignorant of the righteousness of God and seeking to establish their own (Romans 10:3), God’s word of rebuke remains true.
Conclusion This is good practice for us because even though our church’s fellowship isn’t threatened by Jew and Gentile disagreements, we can learn how to appreciate God-given distinctions, God-given privileges, and God-given good news for all in Christ.
This is also good to learn that God has no delight in externals without a broken heart, and that He totally delights in right eternals/sacrifices when we offer them with the right heart (Psalm 51:16, 19). Now, in Christ, we’re not presenting burnt offerings of bulls on His altar, but we do offer our bodies as living sacrifices of worship.
And this is perfect to remind us that childlike faith is sufficient, and that as we know the Father through His Son and by His Spirit and Word we have great reason to rest in His righteousness (not our own) and to rejoice in His faithfulness as we live from faith to faith.
Charge Trust in the LORD with all your heart. Trust Him for today (Matthew 6:25-34). Trust Him when you’re tempted to sin (1 Corinthians 10:13). Trust Him to forgive you when you confess your sin (1 John 1:9). God is faithful.
Benediction:
Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. (1 Thessalonians 5:23–24, 28, ESV)
Or, What Really Counts to God
Romans 2:25-29
January 30, 2022
Lord’s Day Worship
Sean Higgins
Introduction While we talk a lot about circumcision this morning, which is not a frequent sermon topic, remember that sinners excel at missing the point.
There is a lot of iceberg underneath the tip of this paragraph. We see what’s above the surface, we see what Paul actually wrote to the Romans, and the problem isn’t as much which parts Paul left out but how much the Jews had left out. Circumcision wasn’t only a practice in Israel, but the Israelites came to define themselves by it, even more than by their geopolitical boundaries. (Judaizers didn’t push every man to move into the land, but they did pressure every man to be circumcised, see Galatians 6:12.)
Circumcision was a sign, given to Abraham by Yahweh, as a reminder of the LORD’s covenant to Abraham (Genesis 17). All Abraham’s male offspring were to be circumcised (including Ishmael). The law given by God to Israel required it; any uncircumcised male would be “cut off from his people” (Genesis 17:14). It was more than a medicinal and hygienic blessing, it was a covenant blessing.
But it became a sign of sanctimony. There aren’t many synonyms for sanctimony, but it can be defined, and even more so it can be seen. Sanctimony refers to an affected or hypocritical holiness, it means acting as if one were morally superior. It comes from sanctus, a holy thing, but it’s a labored pretense over something sacred, a pietistic posture. Sanctified is good, sanctimonious is acting proud as if one were sanctified.
Paul started poking at Jewish pretense in verse 17. They boasted about their identity, about their possession of the law and how they could give light to those in darkness. But Paul confronted the hypocrisy of how this kind of Jew taught everyone but himself. This kind of Jew boasted in the law that he kept breaking, and God was blasphemed by the pagans who watched the hypocrisy.
In verses 25-29 Paul takes the sign of circumcision, a requirement of the law, and, as with a knife, cuts off their sanctimonious entitlement. Here we see what really counts to God.
The Value Proposition (verse 25) Circumcision is the subject of the first verse in the paragraph, and it’s referenced ten times in these five verses. Since the subject changes from the standard of the law to the sign of circumcision, a new paragraph is appropriate. At the same time it extends Paul’s confrontation to the man calling himself a Jew (verse 17) and has an additional explanation (beginning with “For”) after the hypocrisy of the law-breakers.
The law commanded every male in Israel be circumcised (Genesis 17:10). Paul doesn’t say who asked about circumcision, but it’s easy to imagine that a Jew could have heard the part about his law-breaking and still felt secure because of his circumcision. This sign was the Jews’ citadel.
For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision.
Circumcision was a physical act of cutting the foreskin, easiest when a boy was eight days old (Leviticus 12:3), and requiring more recovery when a man was full grown (hence how Simeon and Levi routed a whole town when the men were sore, Genesis 34:13-25). God almost killed Moses for failing to circumcise his son, and Zipporah was none too happy about it (Exodus 4:24-26). Circumcision was a sign of sonship, a sign of belonging to the covenant that God made with Abraham to bless him.
The cutting off of skin was always meant as a reminder about cutting off of sin. That is so much so that circumcision became a metaphor, “Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn” (Deuteronomy 10:16). Physical circumcision wasn’t the end, circumcision was a means to the end.
The sign was not meaningless, but it wasn’t magic. It was not useless, but is of value with obedience. That obedience had to come from faith. That faith was in God, relying on God’s mercy and God’s provision of sacrifices to cover sin. The sign meant that a Jew was obligated to love God with all his heart, it did not get him off the hook from his obligations to the Lord.
Without this obedience of faith and love, circumcision might as well have never happened. Unlike in English, there are two unrelated words in Greek (circumcision – περιτομή and uncircumcision – ἀκροβυστία). Being “uncircumcised” wasn’t just a fact in one’s medical chart, it was a derogatory category. Uncircumcised was synonym for the unrighteous, the ungodly, and ἀκροβυστία is not found outside of the Bible and Greek ecclesiastical literature (per BAGD); it was a way the religious looked down on the irreligious. Identifying others as Gentiles/Greeks was one thing, it wasn’t really polite to identify the uncircumcised as such.
When Paul wrote that “your circumcision becomes circumcision,” he was saying about the worst thing he could. What counts to God is not the sign by itself.
The Consequential Implications (verses 26-27) Here is a “therefore,” a “so,” with the consequences.
Verse 26 is recognized as a question in almost all the Greek texts with punctuation and English translations, while verse 27 is also understood as a question in the VLG, KJV, and NASB. I think based on the syntax of the verse, it is better taken as a question, which means these are two questions, both of which are about the uncircumcised.
Here is the first question:
If, therefore, the uncircumcised (man) keeps the requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision?
This is a question to convict the Jew, not an invite to the Gentiles. Paul never preached the good news of circumcision to the uncircumcised, he actually argued against it, even against other apostles (Galatians 2:12; 5:2-3, 11). The question is, what counts to God? The Jew thought the sign itself counted for something, but “neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation” (Galatians 6:15).
The form of this question in Romans 2:26 is a third class condition, if…then? Unlike a first class condition which assumes the truth of the “if”/protasis, this type of third class condition puts forward a hypothetical. The confrontation goes one way to show that obedience from the heart matters more than a cut on the skin.
This is not saying that Gentiles who obey the law are then a true Israel. The biggest reason is that no one keeps the law. John Calvin wrote that Paul:
“simply intended to lay down a supposed case—that if any Gentile could be found who kept the law, his righteousness would be of more value without circumcision, than the circumcision of the Jew without righteousness.”
If obedience could happen (and that is hypothetical, since Paul’s point is that faith is required), then it would prove what counts to God.
Verse 27 asks:
Won’t the physically uncircumcised (man) keeping the law condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law?
Obviously, yes. God cares about humble obedience, and anyone, including the possibility of a pagan who came to see the righteousness of God in the law, could see the blatant hypocrisy of those who claimed that they knew better.
Of course, circumcision was a matter of obedience for the Jew. A Jewish male was breaking God’s law by not being circumcised. So in Israel there was not a “spiritual” circumcision-only sort of righteousness, but also righteousness was not only in the “physical” circumcision.
The Applied Evaluation (verses 28-29) The ESV adds some words to try to make the translation of these verses more smooth to read, which is fine. It also divides the two verses into two sentences, though it’s really one long sentence with two clearly different parts, external and internal. It explains what counts (most) to God.
For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God. (Romans 2:28–29, ESV)
This is true, sort of. There are Jews who are not Jews like this, but they are still Jews. There are those who are not circumcised like this, but they have still been circumcised.
This might be a clearer way to read it: “For a Jew is not (only) one outwardly, nor is circumcision (only) outward and physical, but a Jew is (also) one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit.” There isn’t anything about true Jew or true circumcision without any reference to the external, its saying that the external is not enough.
What counts to God is not only outward and physical, what is seen in public, and that has always been the case. At no point in the Old Testament has being in the right family, in the covenant, been sufficient. From the time of Abraham, those who are justified with God and have peace with Him are those who believe (see Romans 4:3). In fact, in Romans 4 Paul points out that Abraham’s circumcision came after his faith “as a seal of the righteousness he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised” (Romans 4:11).
Jewish parents were to circumcise their sons, as a matter of obedience to the law, but that brought obligations to fear the LORD (Deuteronomy 6:2), by keeping all His commandments (also Deuteronomy 6:2), and love the LORD God with all their hearts and souls and might (Deuteronomy 6:5). Circumcision, which was just the most personal, but including all forms of sacrifices and ceremonies in the law, could not replace the heart. What is needed is God’s own Spirit, His supernatural and internal work.
Too many Jews loved the (superficial) status. They loved their presumed position of superiority, a constant state of humblebrag, and circumcision was a sign of their sanctimony. They loved the praise, whether from others or even from their own wrongly informed consciences.
This praise is ironic. The name “Jew” comes from the name “Judah,” and Judah means “praise,” which is why Leah named him so (Genesis 29:35), and why Jacob’s blessing involved praise (Genesis 49:8). Praise is a not whether but which. Every man wants praise, it’s a question of for what and from whom. Too many Jews were satisfied with being praised by men for the sign, when they should have wanted the praise that comes from God for their obedience of faith. They cut themselves off from what counted most: praise from God.
Conclusion The message of Paul to Jews in Rome was not that they could do better. He wasn’t exhorting them to start obeying the law, and obey perfectly, and then everything would be alright again. He was pointing them to Christ by faith. This is actually what the law, and even circumcision, was intended to do all along.
By way of application baptism, as an external sign of identification, does not count as righteousness, though it is commanded for those who believe.
And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. (Deuteronomy 30:6)
Religious things, including the ones commanded by God Himself, that are boasted about to get praise from men are millstones hung around our necks, without living from faith to faith.
Charge If there is any excellence in our liturgy, if there is anything worthy of praise about our worship, it is in the Father’s peace that fills and guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. And as you are charged to go obey, part of your obedience is to believe. Your tested/genuine faith will result in praise and glory from God (1 Peter 1:7).
Benediction:
The LORD our God be with us, as he was with our fathers. May he not leave us or forsake us, that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his rules, which he commanded our fathers. (1 Kings 8:57–58, ESV)
Or, Favorable Conditions with Disastrous Consequences
Romans 2:17-24
January 23, 2022
Lord’s Day Worship
Sean Higgins
Introduction One surprise that keeps surprising me in Scripture is how much God gives. When we talk about His attributes, we ought to connect them to His generosity, His magnanimity. Omniscience applied means He gives with perfect knowledge, who needs what and who will respond how. Omnipotence applied means He gives with complete power, the only limits are ones He sets Himself. Righteousness applied means He gives what is fitting, never evil or tempting to do evil.
Creation is a gift. God was free to make or not. Our status as those who bear His image is a gift, not shared with stars or suns or seas (Psalm 8:3-4). Gender differences, marriage relationships, generational and occupational fruitfulness are from Him and through Him and to Him. We have no blessings we have not received.
He gave Adam and Eve a garden full of food, and He gave them a glorious opportunity to learn obedience by not eating from just one tree. They lost paradise by not accepting the God-given limitation, and “natural” men have been foolishly refusing to thank God since (1 Corinthians 2:14; Romans 1:21).
It doesn’t stop God from giving. He keeps giving sun and sight, oxygen and lungs and trees, rain and harvests. He gives more than necessary things, He gives natural things such as male and female, and enjoyable things such as baseballs and beaches and barbecues. God keeps giving, and that increases the guilt of those give credit to someone else.
Among other things God has given, there are some obvious and transcendent, albeit untouchable, principles and moral laws that are not social constructs. Whatever words men use as labels, physical laws are gifts, like gravity. Moral laws are also gifts, a sense of right and wrong built into the universe and into individual consciences. Hammurabi and pirates have codes, and men have an integrated and active judging mechanism. This is not a product of materialistic evolution, it’s a gift.
There was a particular people that God chose specially to whom He gave even more gifts. He blessed them with detailed revelation, with His own Word, with explicit guidance and prohibitions and rules for appropriate consequences for worship and life. God blessed them with truth about how things work, about His own character, about how to see the world in light. They truly were a people gifted by God with favorable circumstances (notwithstanding Lewis that “favourable conditions never come”), and for too many, it led to disastrous consequences.
That people were, and are, the Jews, the nation of Israel. They are the explicit group addressed by Paul starting in Romans 2:17.
What we’ve seen in the epistle so far is that God’s wrath is being revealed on unbelievers who abuse and pervert God’s gifts so that they don’t have to thank Him (1:18-32). Then there were some more sophisticated persons who I called judgy-pants on purpose because it pokes at their pretension. They have an elevated judging function that seems to work great, except on themselves (2:1-16).
Now in verse 17 Paul pushes his own people’s buttons, hard. These people had more, and more special, gifts. They were first class gifts, and those who wielded them without faith became first class hypocrites. In verses 17-24 Paul goes after their boast in the law, and then in verses 25-29 he goes after their boast in circumcision.
Favorable Conditions (verses 17-20) There is a pattern in verses 17-20 and 21-24: if…then. The syntax is called a conditional statement. Part of the reason I’m calling them first class hypocrites is because in Greek this “if…then” is a first class conditional construction. What that means is that the “if” can be assumed true. These are first class gifts, unique to Israel, and this is not the last time in Romans that Paul details them.
That also means that while there is application for church people, the target audience is Israel. We are the Gentiles mentioned in verse 24, who can actually see the privileged position of the Jew and how damnable of a position they’re in apart from faith in the gospel.
“If” starts verse 17 and governs six gifts in the condition.
First, if you call yourself a Jew. It’s a special label, an ethnic and religious identity given and here self-acknowledged. It’s a shortened form of Judah, which means “praise,” and that irony will become (painfully) clear in verse 29.
It is interesting that Paul pulled out the second person “you” in verse 1 to the judgy-pants and again in verse 17 to the Jew, whom we might call the OG judgy-pants. Jesus spent His harshest words on those who measured others the harshest. As I like to say, you don’t break up concrete with a toothpick. The Jews should have known better because they actually had the truth.
The second (if) you rely on the law is a claim that the law was their foundation. “Law” is the key word in these verses (repeated five times in verses 17-24). Paul uses law with a number of references (such as the Ten Commandments, the Torah, the whole OT) but here it is a catchword for the special revelation from the Lord. Possessing the law wasn’t enough. They were using the mirror (of the law) as a place to situate their pride, rather than how it should have been used, to show them how ugly their pride was.
Because of the law, third, they made their boast in God. Under other circumstances this is the right thing (Psalm 34:2; Jeremiah 9:23-24; 1 Corinthians 1:31). But boasting in God here is apparently boasting in their own godly facade not the God of their faith. They were walking under His banner while actually behaving in their own manner.
Fourth, they know his will, which brought a kind of security, especially compared to the pagan pantheon of private and petty gods. Knowing God’s will connects, fifth, that they approve what is excellent because you are instructed from the law. Not just orthodox, but “altidox,” high on the law.
The sixth has its own special snark against their superiority complex: if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, and instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth–.
People like this are sure that they are real gifts to society. They’ve convinced themselves that they are on a mission from God, maybe mini-messiahs or mediating-messiahs, bringing vision and illumination and wisdom and maturity (or at least lectures).
For sake of argument, all this is true. Just as God gave knowledge of Himself in creation to the Gentiles, so God gave to Israel knowledge and truth in His Word. They were given light and were to be a light to the nations in darkness (Isaiah 42:6-7). They were in a first class condition, and it was very favorable.
Disastrous Consequences (verses 21-24) Now the door swings shut and the “then” smacks them in the head with four rhetorical questions making an obvious conclusion, though verse 23 states the obvious conclusion anyway, and verse 24 tags on a Scripture verse to nail the door shut.
The first question may cover the other three, it is the hypocrisy summarized: you who teach others, do you not teach yourself? Because, you really should, and if you want us to take your teaching seriously, you first. Teachers are judged with greater strictness (James 3:1). They waxed eloquent about their excellent smoke detectors while their pants were on fire.
The next three questions are specifics from the law that proved the point. While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? These two questions come from the second table of the Ten Commandments, both of which relate to private property, both of which, apparently, they weren’t obeying.
You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? This connect with the first four of the Ten, though “rob temples” could be understood in a couple ways. It might refer to not giving God what He deserves, which is a way that Malachi confronted Israel. But in Israel there was only one temple, and Malachi said they were robbing God (Malachi 3:8). Paul says these were robbing temples, plural. So an alternative may refer to making money by selling or supporting the idol business even though claiming to abhor idols (see also Deuteronomy 7:25-26). The abhorring went right up to the man purse.
Then the final rebuke: You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. Boast in it? Keep it! You boast in your wife? Don’t hire a prostitute. Talk about the law? Don’t live against it. (Richard Baxter basically wrote a whole book against pastors for doing something similar).
The Scripture quote comes from Isaiah 52:5 (LXX), “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” A Gentile didn’t have to be a God-fearer for the point to stand. It would be like if Trump said, “Wow, that’s quite a log in your eye.”
It highlights the hypocrisy-meter in every human. It also depends on a worship assumption: people behave in a way that reflects their god. If all a Gentile knew about God came from watching these Jews, they would think God was a pretentious, judgmental, kill-joy who had a different standard for others than for Himself. But that’s nothing like the true God. That’s blasphemy. And that blasphemy is disastrous. This is the anti-chief end of man. It offends God, and it offends Him in His name.
The Jews thought of themselves as having a sort of sanctimonious immunity, and this sort of attitude is regularly insufferable.
Conclusion Paul moves toward resting his case that all are guilty (including the Jews who were God’s chosen nation, Deuteronomy 7:6) and that all need the righteousness of Christ that comes by faith (Romans 3:19-20, 21-22).
By way of application, our capital C Covenantal brethren are exposed to similar temptations to boast in, or be slack about, their status of being “in the covenant” rather than submitting to God’s righteousness by faith (see Romans 10:3). Being in the covenant by birth, and justifying complacency because of it, is a covenantal temptation.
In a less formal way, the temptation relates to anyone growing up in the church, attending church, graduating from a Christian school, etc.. People familiar with the language of righteousness, people who enjoy piling on in discussions about cultural degradation, who applaud the judgment on the unrighteous in chapter 1, who have five Bible apps are on their phone, but are blind to their own self-righteousness, ought to beware their privileges.
The message for all is: Come to Christ!
One final application: if it is true that others can assume that our behavior reflects our God, then we must have no fear in giving good things to our people (kids, neighbors, even enemies). This not only includes tangible things, but education, truth, a culture of right and song, of faithfulness and production (not stealing, or just consumption), of embodying the Father’s kindness. No sanctimonious, no stingy.
It is necessary then to teach them how to receive all these things from the Lord Christ, with thanks to Him and in His name. They, with us, have received blessings, and by faith let us be known for first class good works that others would glorify our God (Matthew 5:16).
Charge It is easier to show gravity by dropping a bowling ball than it is to prove it with a formula. Love is like gravity, except that it is easier to define than to demonstrate. Let us be those who love not just the Word, or who love in word/talk, but in deed and truth (1 John 3:18). In this case dropping the ball is good.
Benediction:
And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:9–11, ESV)
Or, The Things of Which We Are Now Ashamed
1 Corinthians 6:18-20
January 16, 2022
Lord’s Day Worship
Sean Higgins
Introduction Sometimes a magnificent waterfall waits at the end of a long trail. At least we can walk the trail together in this introduction.
At Men to Men last Monday night Jonathan prayed about how many pivotal and life-altering issues seem to be confronting us, and how quickly they keep coming. It is a great time to be a Christian, because we can see how laughable it all is to our God (Psalm 2:4; 37:13) and how “easy” it is to be light in the world. Courage is required but not much wisdom if all you have to do is tell the difference between a boy and a girl.
But, yeah, our government gamblers keep going all in on every hand. You’d think by now they’d be out of the game after now many times they’ve lost, but they’re playing with our money, and apparently there is more where that came from. So our hand has been forced to think about lockdowns and restrictions on assembling for worship, forced to think about forced vaccinations and religious exemptions. Then the State brings out new decks, and lays things such as quarantine camps and even tighter gun restrictions on the table. Maybe it would be less frustrating if so many of our neighbors weren’t cheering on the State’s cheating.
We are allowed to care as citizens and as (Kuyperian) Christians, and it’s a lot to care about. Can you even keep up with the forms to sign? Now is not a good time for reluctant life-long learners.
To the north of us it is worse. I don’t know much about the Canadian system of government, but I know enough to know that not enough Canadians even have guns to complain with. At least some parts of Canada have pushed the pronoun lunacy, other parts have been arresting pastors for having church services, and now their nation has criminalized conversion therapy. These three things do actually go together.
I don’t remember which source I heard about Bill C-4 from first, but an email was sent on behalf of John MacArthur about a month ago describing the legislation and calling pastors to consider joining their pulpits together against it. Not every dumb, let alone immoral and destructive, law necessitates a special sermon, and this law isn’t even applicable to us in the U.S., yet (though as of 2018 the WA State RCW does prohibit licensed health care providers from performing conversion therapy on minors). But this kind of threat by a government is uniquely targeted against humanity in God’s image, and directly against the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Bill C-4 is a law that prohibits the use of, or even promotion of, conversion therapy. (See the Parliament page here.)
From the Preamble:
Whereas conversion therapy causes harm to the persons who are subjected to it;
Whereas conversion therapy causes harm to society because, among other things, it is based on and propagates myths and stereotypes about sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, including the myth that heterosexuality, cisgender gender identity, and gender expression that conforms to the sex assigned to a person at birth are to be preferred over other sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions;
And whereas, in light of those harms, it is important to discourage and denounce the provision of conversion therapy in order to protect the human dignity and equality of all Canadians;
The Definition of conversion therapy:
conversion therapy means a practice, treatment or service designed to
(a) change a person’s sexual orientation to heterosexual;
(b) change a person’s gender identity to cisgender;
(c) change a person’s gender expression so that it conforms to the sex assigned to the person at birth;
(d) repress or reduce non-heterosexual attraction or sexual behaviour;
(e) repress a person’s non-cisgender gender identity; or
(f) repress or reduce a person’s gender expression that does not conform to the sex assigned to the person at birth.
If you provide such therapy you are liable to up to five years in prison, and if you promote/advertise it you are liable for up to two years in prison. The definitions cover a lot, but only allow movement in one direction.
The bill passed unanimously, and went into effect January 8. A number of Canadian pastors decided to preach today about God’s truth on gender (male/female) and sexuality (man and a woman, heterosexuality), along with the truth of God’s judgment on sinners and God’s grace through Jesus Christ for all who turn from their sin and trust Christ. Conversion to Christ is the only hope.
One of the pastors helping to organize the group effort is James Coates, who spent 35 days in jail last year for having church services against lockdown mandates. He contacted MacArthur to see if MacArthur would join the protest, and perhaps ask others to do the same.
I know almost nothing about Mr. Coates except that he has paid a price for his pastoral convictions. I know more about Dr. MacArthur, and though there are always visible cracks the closer you get to a man, I wouldn’t be here apart from God’s use of him in my life. AND I thank God that at (82) he’s still wading out into the fray in Jesus’ name.
Would you be surprised if I told you that there are criticisms about this effort? I think it would be wise to consider some that have a ring of plausibility to them.
A pastor who feels “deeply uneasy” says it’s wrong to preach like this because 1) it is sin-selective, and to single out this issue is “ill advised.” It is true, sexual sin is not the only sin, but we can never say everything about everything every time. Besides, it’s not “selective” to send reinforcements to the north gate if that’s where the attacks are coming.
It is 2) “evangelistically tone-deaf,” since “the world already assumes that the chief end of Christianity is to talk negatively about sex” so that we are not known for the gospel. Yet the gospel is exactly for the sinfully deaf, and Paul didn’t worry about addressing sexual sins amont the Romans (Romans 1:24, 26-27) or Corinthians (1 Corinthians 6:9-11) or Galatians (Galatians 5:19) or Ephesians (Ephesians 5:3) or Colossians (Colossians 3:5) or Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 4:3).
It is 3) “legislatively impotent,” doing nothing “whatsoever to turn that tide,” so instead we should have a united day of prayer. Why not both: prayer and the ministry of the Word? And so what if it doesn’t turn the tide, it does sound the alarm. And who else but the church is supposed to speak God’s truth to the world?
It is 4) “persecution baiting.” “The earliest messengers of the gospel were not called to spit in the eye of the governor, but to faithfully proclaim Christ.” John the Baptist, please call your office. And for that matter, this is a response to a clearly targeted pursuit. The Canadian government has thrown down, they are making the threats, and the church can say, “This is God’s lawn, get off.”
There are a few other criticisms out there, including more personal charges against MacArthur for thinking he’s too big for his britches, for not sticking with sequential exposition, and against the church in general for not dealing with sex scandals and sexual abuse anyway. Plus, maybe it’s drawing an arbitrary line between the faithful and the compromised depending on their sermon topic. Christians really are some of the hardest people to please.
By God’s grace we are dealing with sexual sins among us at TEC. We have not only taught explicitly about God’s creation and His distinctions, we’ve dealt with the dangers of sexual immorality and the blessed fruitfulness of sexual righteousness as well. The issue is pressing in our day in a different way than during the time of the Apostle’s Creed, such that we made gender and marriage definitions part of our What We Believe in Brief, required for sake of membership.
And will this sermon get me in trouble with the government? Unlikely, at least in the near term, though hate speech and blasphemy laws are headed our way like a glacier. Will it add another voice showing solidarity in such an obvious way that will get James Coates thrown back into prison. May it be, and may he return the favor for us someday if necessary.
So let’s be clear, get it on the record again, give the evidence necessary to convict.
God made man in His own image, male and female (Genesis 1:26-31). It is a sin, deserving death, to be unthankful for your God-given gender, let alone to refuse to acknowledge His gift to you of life as boy or girl, and to lie about something so obvious, or to seek to transition His image in you. This is from the first chapter of the Bible. These are creational realities from before Canada was even a recognizable land mass.
God formed woman for the man, and He instituted the institution of marriage (and family) between one man and one woman, in a permanent, life-long covenant of love and respect (Genesis 2:18-24). Acting like a married couple before making vows is sin (fornication, Galatians 5:19), acting like a married couple as two men or two women is sin (homosexuality, 1 Corinthians 6:9), breaking one’s vows with another partner is sin (adultery, 1 Corinthians 6:9), including divorce apart from exceptional circumstances.
Sexual sins were the primary cause of Sodom and Gomorrah’s destruction. Sexual sins created the Moabites and Ammonites (Lot’s daughters). Sexual sins ruined Samson, David, and Solomon. Sexual sins, among others, keep men out of the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). Sexual sins are a sign of God’s abandoning wrath on just just individual men, but on a culture (Romans 1:24-27).
Sexual sins plague our nation, and this generation. Sexual sins have destroyed families, churches, schools, and women’s sports. Sexual sins have corrupted souls, and even caused the deaths of millions of babies through abortion. Sexual sins are not only celebrated as entertainment, they are being taught as alternative lifestyles and our affirmation is required unless we want to be punished.
It’s as if the serpent showed up again to a lonely man with low self-esteem and said, “In the day that you take these pills, you will be like girls.” But it is a lie, full of deception, and leads to more anguish on the way to death.
The church of the living God is the “pillar and buttress of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). The church must equip the saints and call Prime Ministers and Parliament members to convert to Christ. These “rulers” are the guilty ones, causing harm, denying science (biological nature and anthropological history), attempting to be god rather than submitting to Him. The church can and should preach that Jesus is Lord, that legislators and law enforcement officers will give a greater account.
And such were some of you (1 Corinthians 6:11). This is the good news. We talk about sin because we see what salvation cost: the Son of God’s life. Jesus died for the spiritually dead, but there is no hope in your sin. You must convert.
Conversion therapy is not the name we give to preaching the gospel, but conversion is a goal of preaching. To convert is to turn from one belief to another. Turn from the enslaving, lying idol of self-definition and pretend autonomy to the embodied, living and true God who delivers you into holy freedom and makes you one of His children. This is good news to be received by faith.
The gospel brings conversion from sin, from the world, from the unnatural, from death.
And it completely belongs with our liturgy of worship. Things happen when we assemble to worship that aren’t limited only to a given statement. We become like who we worship (Psalm 115:4-8; 2 Corinthians 3:18). The call to worship assumes God’s existence, it needs no argument. Our singing and kneeling and hearing and walking and eating and drinking (and under the minister’s raised hands receiving) corroborates that God cares about our hearts and parts, including our private parts.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. (Romans 12:1)
For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; (1 Thessalonians 4:3–5)
And:
Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:18–20)
We are in territory now where the exhortation is “flee sexual insanity.” Homosexual behavior is unnatural, and unrighteous. Attempting gender transition is unnatural, unrighteous, and impossible. We are making men (into ugly women) with artificial silicone chests and expecting them to be virile. We are castrating via hormone therapy and bidding the geldings be fruitful.
when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. (Romans 6:20–22)
There will be shame, either in what we needed to convert from, or in the good news of conversion. It seems even some professing Christians are now ashamed of Christ’s call to conversion. Let us not be ashamed of the gospel.
Conclusion There is an important distinction to make between the blustering and the broken, between liars and the lost, between crusaders and outcasts. God laughs at the defiant, He is near to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18), He heals the brokenhearted (Psalm 147:3). The gospel is for the broken and lost. Jesus is the Friend for sinners.
Bill C-4 is a measure by the State to define what can be said. May pastors, today, and every day, fill up Canada with teaching on true freedom and fruitfulness (like in Acts 5:28), and may God bless them with rejoicing that they are counted worthy to suffer dishonor for Christ’s name (as in Acts 5:41, Philippians 1:29) or may God bless them with deliverance from their enemies.
Gender identity and sexual relationships are clear and crucial truths in God’s Word. We are willing to be thrown by limp-wristed legislators into the fiery furnace of cancel culture. We will not worship Leviathan or the mob or their gods or the rainbow images they have set up.
As we look around we may wonder, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3. We remember that the LORD is in His holy temple, His eyes see, His soul hates the wicked, He loves those who do right (Psalm 11:4-6).
John Bunyan was emboldened in prison, not gutted. When he thought he might get out near the end of 12 years, he said,
I have determined, the Almighty God being my help and shield, yet to suffer, if frail life might continue so long, even till the moss shall grow on mine eyebrows, rather than thus to violate my faith and principles. (A Confession of my Faith, and a Reason of my Practice, quoted in John Brown, John Bunyan, 231)
So let our convictions be deep and our preaching of the good news of forgiveness and eternal life for all who convert to Christ be clear.
Charge I used to think that you had to stand alone to really prove your conviction. A lit match in the wind contra mundum, and all that. Should you be willing to stand alone? Yes, be willing. But a sniper out on his own isn’t more courageous than those shoulder-to-shoulder on the front line. So stand where you’re supposed to be. Stand firm for the Lord’s sake. Stand together. Withstand with.
Benediction: A running start, with good exhortation leading to the doxology:
But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.
Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 1:20–25, ESV)
Or, Why the Woke Have No Forgiveness, No Fruit, and No Fun
Matthew 7:1-6
January 9, 2022
Lord’s Day Worship
Sean Higgins
Introduction As one of the shepherds I am burdened for the body, jealous for you against the world’s attempts to make you miserable. Within the last ten years—which happen to overlap the years we’ve been busy cultivating a Trinitarian community of worshipping, maturing disciples who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord over all the world—the accuser, the devil, the evil one, has been cultivating his offspring into an angry, envious, self-righteous mob. By God’s grace, even in and through our liturgy of worship, we do not see the seeds of “woke” sprouting in our church. But, not only do I desire for you to be ready and protected in heart and mind if/when the woke attack, I honestly am doing everything I can to make each of you, and all of us together, a bigger target. We don’t have the problem on the inside, but I pray that we would provoke those on the outside.
Our pastors considered taking an entire Sunday seminar to talk about wokeness, though again, this is not an error that we see within the flock, so it didn’t seem as pressing. But as we take time at the beginning of each year to refresh our understanding of Lord’s Day worship, I can’t help but think that God is using our liturgy to keep us from going woke. That it isn’t critical is not a coincidence.
Woke is an exhausting worldview that will get worse in our culture without a gospel revival. Maybe you’ve never heard the word “woke,” you certainly are dealing with expressions of it, through companies and colleges and Congress and commercials. I couldn’t dream of providing an exhaustive explanation or exhaustive examples, let alone a prophetic vision of how much suffering we’re in for. But again, I want you to understand how our liturgy of worship is a privilege, with a bunch of sub-privileges necessary attached, and how that privilege is exactly a provocation to many of our cultural neighbors, including, sadly, many professing Christians, pastors, and churches.
I’m going to start with a part of the Sermon on the Mount, the judgy-pants, plank-in-the-eye part, then define what woke means and demonstrate how wokeness is anti-gospel, and then call all of us to embrace our privilege in worship, which includes confessing our sins and rejoicing in our God-given forgiveness and fellowship and fruit.
Planks and Pigs – Matthew 7:1-6 Maybe Matthew 7:1 is the most quoted verse in the Gospels next to John 3:16. It may also be a 7:1 misuse:use ratio, and that’s by both those who profess to be Christians and those who don’t. That’s an important piece: men who don’t believe the Bible, but who are familiar enough with it to borrow its morality, use the parts they want in their own defense.
The men and women listening to Jesus were culturally saturated in categories close-ish to God’s commandments. These Jews conversed in the vocabulary of righteousness, and, following in the path of their teachers, had more problems with self-righteousness than unambiguous unrighteousness. They loved to judge by surface standards, which Jesus confronted as missing the heart of the matter (think: anger, lust, loyalties, 5:21-48). Righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees and scribes, who were precise and pretentious (5:20). Theirs was for show, so Jesus condemned “practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them” (6:1), whether that was in donating to charity (6:2-4), chanting on the street corners (6:5-14), or in gloomy-faced intermittent fasting (6:17-18). They wanted to be seen, they wanted the reward of a higher social score.
At the same time, they were concerned about quality of life, about worldly status, about money and clothes and food (6:24-34). Their treasures showed where their hearts were (6:21).
After all that Jesus said, “Judge not that you be not judged” (7:1). As the rest of the paragraph makes clear, this is not about covering your eyes and turning off your brain, but it’s about knee-jerk, with emphasis on the jerk part, judgmentalism. It’s about being quick to climb the ropes and jump off the highest one with a bionic (or, ironic) elbow of superiority.
Verse 2 points out hyper-critical judgments are like a blind man throwing boomerangs; they come back hard.
Verse 3 points out how ridiculous/laughable it often is: he’s got a log in his eye. That is a funny picture. A “log” (ESV), or “plank” (NIV) or “beam” (KJV) is a big piece of heavy timber, the kind that holds up a roof, a rafter, that would certainly be bigger than a man’s head. The analogy is hyperbole, and humorous. It’s a joke. The plank-eyed man is somehow focused on another man with a speck or splinter in his eye. Verse 4 continues the joke, how can you even see around the log? It’s funny, and it’s hypocrisy.
So it’s not no judging (see verse 5), but rather it’s no judging from self-righteousness. It’s no judging others first. If there’s self, it should be self-judging, and not second. The hypocrite doesn’t get the joke; he is the joke.
The very next verse may appear to change the subject, but verse 6 applies to the previous five. A self-righteous plank-eyed man, who doesn’t see the irony of calling out others for sins he’s living in, is a pig that will turn on you if you keep trying to help him see it.
Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pics, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you. (verse 6)
Just as Jesus is serious about self-righteous, judgy-pants hypocrites who can’t recognize themselves, He is serious about others recognizing them and not giving them more material.
“But,” sister sentimentalism says, “you’re not Jesus. You can’t call other people pigs. That’s not loving.” And I might say, “Don’t judge me.” Or, we could point out, you also aren’t Jesus, so you don’t get to say that He didn’t know what He was doing when He preached this prohibition and acted like it was possible to understand and obey. Do you want to obey Jesus? Love your enemies (5:44), and, don’t give pearls to pigs (7:6). Not either/or, but both-and. Don’t keep giving holy, valuable wisdom and good news to haters. Don’t worry about hurting their feelings.
A man who is listening, sure, help him with his splinter, or his log. But a scoffer? Better watch out that he doesn’t bite you.
The “Worship” of the Woke Like those in Jesus’ day, and actually, even more so, since in our day we actually have Jesus’ words, too, we live in a generation of men so familiar with biblical morality that they can’t help but use the language to justify themselves and condemn others, mostly to avoid their own hellish guilt. There is nothing new, but at present it’s popular again to practice (a kind of) righteousness before men to be seen, liked, and if you’re lucky to not have your business burned down. It is full of irony, hypocrisy, wickedness, instability, danger, death, and misery.
Unlike a number of labels, “woke” is a self-chosen identity. It’s worn proudly, not like the stains smattered from a derogatory tomato. The term gained popularity in the 2010s, and started with concerns about racism, especially in the Black Lives Matter movement. Woke means to be “aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice),” (Merriam-Webster), which is a definition like a trojan-horse with dyspepsia. It has crept into any discussion about every possible way a person could be oppressed.
Karl Marx didn’t coin the term “oppression,” but he did divide the world into two categories: the economic oppressors and the economically oppressed. Note: those are legit categories. Solomon wrote about men having power over other men to their hurt (Ecclesiastes 8:9). But seeing oppression is different than starting with the assumption that oppression must be found, so look harder. Seeing oppression is different than a worldview which says the oppressor/oppressed categories explain every relationship. Seeing oppression, even fighting it, is different than committing your life to becoming the (ironic) oppressor of oppressors.
Woke is a worldview built on “righteous” resentment of privilege, on envy of another’s good(s), and an attempt to find simple, usually surface causes to explain suffering under the sun. It is a worldview that will find faults; the cancel part of cancel culture is not merely a stage toward a Kumbaya hand-holding circle of peace. It is a worldview that demands obedience and sacrifice, namely to level/lower all the high persons. Of course this is impossible. First, this isn’t how God made the world to be; He made hierarchies. Second, leveling is at best only seen at the exact moment the oppressed pass the oppressors on their way to the top.
The “woke” are aware of and even consumed by these problems. The woke think everyone should be woke about the problems. If you aren’t woke, then you are the problem. Denial of guilt is proof of guilt.
What do you do to be woke? You must admit your “sin” of privilege, whether that’s your white skin, that your parents didn’t get divorced, that your gender is male, or that you have a job that pays the bills including your (exorbitant) taxes. You must confess whatever they say are your privileges as sin, feel bad about those privileges, and stop supporting the “system” that promotes some to privilege. Then you must demand that others do the same; you must make disciples (albeit twice the sons of hell, as the Pharisees did in Matthew 23:15).
What do you get out of being woke? You get a sense of satisfaction stepping up to the moral high ground. Of course, you don’t belong there, so any satisfaction is qualified and fleeting; your sense of self is Guilty As Charged. You do not get forgiveness; your sins are too great to be paid in this life, even though you must try. You do not get fruit, because if anything looked like profit that would be privilege which is wrong by definition. You do not get genuine fellowship either. At best you are co-belligerents, fighting the same oppressors, a temporary fellowship based on shared grievances. But there is no happy ending. There is no peace. There is no good news. It is anti-gospel.
Woke is a worldview that comes from different worship. From Faultlines by Voddie Bauchum
this new body of divinity comes complete with its own cosmology (CT/CRT/I); original sin (racism); law (antiracism); gospel (racial reconciliation); martyrs (Saints Trayvon, Mike, George, Breonna, etc.); priests (oppressed minorities); means of atonement (reparations); new birth (wokeness); liturgy (lament); canon (CSJ social science); theologians (DiAngelo, Kendi, Brown, Crenshaw, MacIntosh, etc.); and catechism (“say their names”). (Location 1185)
Are there actual racists (those who hate those of other ethnicities)? Are there employers who exploit their employees? Are their political and bureaucratic tyrants? Are there sexual harassers and predators? YES. And these are not splinter size sins.
It is also true that many of our Christian fathers did not ruthlessly and honestly confess their sins and turn from them. They covered their sins, they lied, they did what they said to their kids not to do. Of course this has consequences.
But, destroying another’s property/business/livelihood, physically attacking and beating another man to death, slandering and ruining reputations in the name of what’s right is all plank-eyed false righteousness. Seeking to establish lower expectations for minority groups, refusing medical treatment to people with the majority skin color, expecting minimum wage laws to fix poverty, these and other examples are more planks in the eye. Those with planks are judging based on a wrong sense of self-righteousness, from arbitrary and volatile “laws,” and they are not appeased by Christians feeling bad for them. They are pigs who will turn back to attack you, and then return to wallow in their chaotic mire (2 Peter 2:22).
It was the so-called righteous people who demanded the crucifixion, yet they were a crooked generation.
Our Worship Is Not Woke Is it a guarantee that we can always judge correctly who’s a pig? No. Can we never know? Then how frustrating is Jesus’ sermon?
What helps us deal with any size wood in our eyes, and what helps us see clearly and get clean, is the good news of Jesus Christ. It is the gospel of God that brings us together every Lord’s Day.
We assemble before God, not a mob of men. We submit to an objective standard, not the traditions or feelings of men. We mourn our sins, according to what God calls sin, as we come to the Savior, who paid the cost for us, saves us from the due penalty, and by grace cleanses our consciences and gives us His own Spirit to sense the Father’s love and peace with us (Romans 5:5). We are brought into fellowship. We are given more privilege, more blessing.
God does not guilt-trip us, as if His goal was to load us up with heavy burdens and cast us into the sea. The Father is generous, gracious; His kindness leads to repentance. He gives us pearls of freedom, forgiveness, fellowship, fruitfulness, even fun.
Conclusion The “pearls” are unidentified in Matthew 7:6, but couldn’t they include identity as His image-bearers (Call), forgiveness as His children (Confession), food and light from His Word (Consecration), fellowship at His table (Communion), and favor for our weekly work as His representatives (Commission)? He gives us the treasures of mercy, grace, salvation, freedom, hope, comfort, gospel.
The Father is giving His children great blessing, to make others (such as the Jews, Romans 11:11) jealous. This is not necessarily worldly success, though it is not resistant to visible, tangible, generational fruitfulness on earth (like many of the Psalms and Deuteronomy describe). Blessings are seen in how you succeed, and how you suffer, how you rejoice and weep with others, when you win and when you worship, when you lose something you loved because it was right. When He gives and takes away, and you bless the name of the Lord, you are likewise blessed.
To not want God’s blessing in order to not be a target of the woke is to be lukewarm at best, which is the vomit-launching position (Revelation 3:16). It is even less safe to say that you know better than the Father how much of His favor you need.
He gives you pearls, which makes you jealousable and which makes pig-plankers TURN their heads, either in humility to repent from their own sin, or in rage to attack. Rejoice in your privileges, including the privilege of worship, and be ready.
Charge Brothers, do not hide your light under a bushel. Let the blessings of God on and around you shine brightly; put them on a stand in the center of the room. Remember that God has redeemed you from your sin, He is transforming you from one degree of glory to another, and no one gives privileges like He does.
Benediction:
The LORD bless you and keep you;
the LORD make his face to shine
upon you and be gracious to you;
the LORD lift up his countenance
upon you and give you peace.
(Numbers 6:24–26, ESV)
Or, The Liturgy of Seeking the Lord
2 Chronicles 20:1-30
January 2, 2022
Lord’s Day Worship
Sean Higgins
Introduction The beginning of a new calendar year is as good a time as any for evaluation, which for everyone should result in a lot of things to give thanks to God for, and also for everyone probably some repenting from sin and turning to obedience. These are year round activities, but something about the transition from December to January makes it fitting.
The beginning of the calendar year also coincides with the anniversary of TEC’s beginning. Next Sunday, January 9, will be exactly eleven years for us as a church body. From the very first Sunday in 2011 we have begun the Lord’s Days in January with teaching, reminding, renewing, rejoicing in our Lord’s Day liturgy of assembled worship.
Due to our significant increase of new members, I took a number of sermons last year to explain the five Cs and point out some of the ingredients that cause our worship to taste the way it does. As I’ve said, I’ve taken numerous swings at trying to communicate why we do what we do when we’re together (you can find those previous messages if you’re interested, last year’s are at the previous link, and here’s another set about our liturgy).
For Our Worship 2022 I want to remind you 1) why our worship belongs up front in the battle, 2) how our worship protects us from the implacable idol of woke-ism that’s so trendy today, and 3) the way our worship models the reality of a hierarchical cosmos, especially as seen between male and female.
To get us going, let’s read a great story of God’s steadfast love in His deliverance of Jehoshaphat and the Jews in 2 Chronicles 20.
2 Chronicles 20:1-30
Some context: we are in a battle but ours is not like exactly this, nor is the United States a nation like Israel. And yet, “whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4, see also 1 Corinthians 10:11). So the LORD is the same LORD. The hope we have in Him is the same sort of hope. And our desperation, with only one sure Deliverer, is most definitely the same.
We ought not skip the “After this” in verse 1. Jehoshaphat sinned in 2 Chronicles 18, but repented in chapter 19 and began a restoration of righteousness in Israel, appointing judges and repairing the temple. In other words, chapter 19 is full of Jehoshaphat bringing glory to God through his obedience. Sometimes when you live by faith, the LORD kicks it up a notch (just as Shasta “had not yet learned that if you do one good deed your reward usually is to be set to do another and harder and better one.” The Horse and His Boy). Now the LORD chose to bring glory to Himself through Jehoshaphat by deliverance.
The Moabites and Ammonites plus some Meunites (from Edom) make up “a great multitude” coming to kill Jehoshaphat, gathering from the west side of the Dead Sea and coming around the south of the sea, probably just a day or so away. Jehoshaphat had one thing going for him: he knew what he couldn’t do. So he “set his face to seek the LORD” and called on his people to fast (verse 3). The people assembled, and for emphasis, the whole assembly is said to seek the LORD and His help (verse 4).
On behalf of the assembly Jehoshaphat cried out in front of the assembly, praising and petitioning the God of heaven who rules over all the earth. He is the God who makes and keeps promises, including the very land of Judah; Jehoshaphat expected the “Land Lord” to intervene. He acknowledges that the very house of worship is identified by the name of the LORD, and that generations have committed that they will “cry out to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save” (verse 9). Jehoshaphat lays out the problem, not because God didn’t know it, but as a record of how bad it really was.
We are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you. (verse 12)
Beloved, fellow members of the body, friends, brothers and sisters, the end of the rope is the right place, as long as we keep our eyes on Him. Powerless, without strength, not enough resources, every shelf in the arsenal is empty. Ignorant, without a plan, not enough ideas. “But our eyes are on You.” Every week, as we assemble together in the name of the LORD we say that together: our help is in the name of the LORD. Our eyes are on You.
All the assembly, “with their little ones, their wives, and their children” (verse 13) were there as if their lives depended on it, because they did. The Spirit came upon Jahaziel, a Levite, who brought them a word from the LORD.
Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s (verse 15)…You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf…Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the LORD will be with you. (verse 17)
One of the most frequent commands from the LORD is: don’t fear; in fact, the Lord gives that command 365 times in Scripture. One of the first Greek phrases I ever memorized was μὴ φοβοῦ, μόνον πίστευε (Mark 5:36). His Word lifts up our heads beyond circumstances to His sovereignty. His Word pierces through the visible to the invisible, the spiritual, the eternal. When the assembly gathers before God and discerns the end of the wicked, we see how good we have it to be near to God our refuge (see Psalm 73:17, 28).
When we bring our desperation to Him, He hears, and He reminds the humble that He is near, He is “with us.” The battle is not ours, but His (verse 15), similar to David’s last words before he killed Goliath (1 Samuel 17:47). “Stand…and see the salvation of the Lord,” just as Moses told the people waiting beside the Red Sea (Exodus 14:13).
Jehoshaphat and the temple ministers worshipped. They fell down before the LORD, then stood up to praise the LORD with a loud voice (verses 18-19).
The next morning they gathered again and Jehoshaphat exhorted them:
Believe and you will be established. Believe and you will succeed. (verse 20)
The battle begins with faith, it’s from faith to faith. And that faith is expressed in worship.
Israel’s army was there, but the choir went first, just like at Jericho (Joshua 6:9). For their song selection they chose an oldie but a goodie:
Give thanks to the LORD,
for his steadfast love endures forever. (verse 21)
This well-known refrain at least goes back to David’s prayer in 1 Chronicles 16 (see verse 34); it gets Tomlin-level repetition in Psalm 136. The choir is out front, up front.
“And when they began to sing and praise they LORD set an ambush” (verse 22)…so that the enemies were routed. Two of the three enemies turned on the third, then the remaining two turned on each other, and were successful in destroying each other. Israel worshiped and watched (think of the antsy ones at St. Anne’s in That Hideous Strength whose assignment it was to wait).
So Judah got a good look at the outcome, and the people were three days in gathering the spoil (verse 25), and appropriately “blessed the LORD” (verse 26). They returned home with joy, rejoicing in God with harps and lyres and trumpets (verses 27-28).
“[God] delights to furnish those with matter for praise that have hearts for it.” —Matthew Henry
We have a sort of mini-Jehoshaphat crisis every week. As I said, our battle isn’t the same, but in one way our enemy/enemies are more fierce (1 Peter 5:8; Ephesians 6:12). We assemble to seek the Lord. The name of this place could be called the “Our-Eyes-Are-on-You” place. Or it could be called Beracah, “Blessing,” the place we seek His blessing and we bless His name for all He’s done.
We gather to remember the indicatives: Our God is the God of heaven, who rules over all kingdoms and nations, in whose hand are power and might so that none may withstand. And that same Lord, His steadfast love endures forever.
Then we we remember the imperatives: Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Stand firm. Believe in the Lord your God. Give thanks to the Lord. Call on Him in the day of trouble and He will deliver (Psalm 50:15).
And it is not a stretch to say that when we begin to sing and praise Him, He moves.
The gates of hell cannot withstand the worship of the church in Jesus’ name (Matthew 16:18). Hell’s unbelief is not more powerful than God-by grace-granted faith. Hell’s rebellion is bitter and breakable compared to the believer’s Spirit-produced joyful and strong and free submission. When we assemble on the Lord’s Day we are an outpost of the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom we are receiving cannot be shaken (Hebrews 12:28), let us be grateful and offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe.
Call. Confession. Consecration. Communion. Commission.
Boom! “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (Revelation 5:12).
Conclusion Assembling before the Lord each Sunday reminds us that we are not our own (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). We are not sufficient (2 Corinthians 3:5). We are, by ourselves, powerless, and we don’t know what to do.
But because of the Seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15), because of the true King of David, Jesus Christ, we see the salvation of the Lord.
We could call him Jealousable Jehoshaphat. The whole assembly with him was jealousable. “The fear of God came on all the kingdoms of the countries when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel” (verse 29). Jehoshaphat had sought to bring glory to God through his obedience, which he did, but God brought even greater glory through deliverance.
“Blessed are all who take refuge in [the LORD, the Son]” (Psalm 2:11-12). “I will live up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1).
Charge Believe in the Lord and you will be established, believe His Word and you will succeed (2 Chronicles 20:20)! Believe not for health and wealth, but in humility and worship. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Stand firm. Keep your eyes on Him.
Benediction:
Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.
If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. (1 Corinthians 16:13–14, 22–23, ESV)
Or, A Christmas Call to Consolation
Luke 2:21-38
December 26, 2021
Lord’s Day Worship
Sean Higgins
Introduction Here we are on the last Lord’s Day of the year, during the sermon part of Consecration, the part of our liturgy which focuses on setting us apart to the Lord. Consecration belongs with our sanctification; we are being conformed into greater Christlike holiness and transformed into greater Christlike glory. There has maybe been no greater test of my sanctification this past year than following the Snohomish Health District on Twitter.
Hold that in mind for a moment, because it connects to it being the day after Christmas, the day after our feasting over the Incarnation of God’s Son. Perhaps today is a tough day because you spent most of your energy getting ready for, and hopefully then enjoying, your day yesterday. Often, when a big event is done, it’s tempting to want to be all done.
What you may need is comfort, consolation. Because the Lord is the one in charge, He decides when we are done, and when He has more for us to do.
The SnoHD knows that the last couple years have been tough for people (not self-aware enough to consider how they have played a part in that). But to help us out, they’ve been sharing every week under the hashtag #WallpaperWednesday images of snowflakes or sunsets or cozy couches with some sentimental comment like a cat poster. Last Wednesday’s wallpaper was a cup with a peppermint stick in a festive setting with the words “comfort and joy.” No source or reason for either, just an exhortation to share comfort and joy with others rather than your (usual) jerk self. You can see what a test that could be.
True consolation, not as in a second place prize, but as comfort, the easing of grief and burden and pain, only comes in the Savior, Jesus Christ. He must be named, He must be believed. There is no other hope.
Jesus is called “the consolation of Israel” in Luke 2. He was identified by a man named Simeon, by the Holy Spirit, in the passage following the angelic army choir celebrating Christ’s birth. In this advent season we’ve looked at the Annunciation, the Magnificat, the Birth in Bethlehem, and the shepherds receiving the good news of great joy. The next paragraphs happen a little more than a week and a month later. We’re post Christmas. God is still in flesh, and yet there is a ways to go.
As in the previous messages we’ll look at the story, a doctrine, and a use.
The Nunc Dimittis – Luke 2:21-38 All the law is being fulfilled by Joseph and Mary. They name their son Jesus, they have him circumcized at the right time (eight days later), and they present their first-born at the Temple (according to Exodus 13:2), while making Mary’s purification offering forty days after the birth (according to Leviticus 12:6). The turtle-doves were a poor man’s option, confirming that Joseph was not wealthy in worldly terms.
At the Temple they were met by a man named Simeon. Luke identifies Simeon as “righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him” (verse 25). It is somewhat unique that the Spirit was upon him, and the phrase “consolation of Israel” is definitely unique. Consolation is a cognate of the well-known Greek word parkletos. The comfort of Israel is not a phrase found in any other passage; Anna, in the next paragraph, calls Jesus the “redemption of Israel.” In Jesus Isaiah’s words ring true: “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God” (Isaiah 40:1).
The part that really stands out is verse 26:
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.”
Though not identified as a prophet or a priest, nor necessarily as an old man, the impression is that Simeon had been given special, supernatural revelation by God, and had been waiting for a long time. The same Spirit took Simeon to the Temple on the right day, the day when Joseph and Mary brought Jesus. Simeon knew right away.
he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to Your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation
that you have prepared in the
presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.
“Now…you are letting…depart” in Latin is nunc dimittis. It’s the third of the hymn-like sayings in Luke, after Mary’s Magnificat and Zechariah’s Benedictus. Simeon needs nothing else, he’s ready to go.
Salvation is for the world. Jesus is “the light of the world” (John 8:12), and this “light” is for two things: 1) “revelation to the Gentiles,” bringing them understanding, and 2) “glory to your people Israel.” The Messiah is from the line of David; He’s a Jew. He will reign over the house of Jacob (Luke 1:32-33). He will be a help to His servant – Israel (1:54), from the God of Israel (1:68).
Jesus is the Cornerstone for all who believe, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile (Romans 1:16). And, not all of Jesus’ people received Him at His first coming (John 1:11). Simeon will tell Mary in a moment that Jesus is a watershed and yet that doesn’t change the promises. The light will spread in the church until the fullness of Gentiles comes in and then a future generation of Israel will repent and receive Jesus as Lord (Romans 11:25).
Joseph and Mary marveled (2:33), and Simeon prophesied directly to Mary about the future end of her baby’s life. Simeon has no word for Joseph.
“Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” (34-35)
These are effects of the cornerstone metaphor, though Simeon doesn’t specifically refer to Jesus as the stone as other passages do (think 1 Peter 2:4-8). But those who are built on the rock rise and those who stumble over it will fall.
This exposure continues today, among Jews and non-Jews. Men, no matter how much they imagine, are not the judges of Jesus. When they put themselves in the judge’s seat they show which side they’re on. Their hearts are constantly being revealed.
The next paragraph concerns a prophetess named Anna, of the (lost) tribe of Asher. She had dedicated her life to service after becoming a widow, perhaps 60 or more years. She also was brought at the right time by the Spirit to see Jesus and when she recognized Him, she “began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Israel” (2:38).
There’s not much reason for Luke to mention Anna other than to corroborate that some did recognize and rejoice. God did not leave Himself without witness, and two witnesses was the minimum (Deuteronomy 19:15).
Doctrine – Providence We believe that God is sovereign, and the doctrine of providence means that He has decided every element of every event, the timing and the agents and the outcome. It’s called providence, His protective care.
From Chapter 5 on Providence in the Westminster Confession of Faith.
God the great Creator of all things doth uphold, (Hbr 1:3); direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things, (Dan 4:34-35; Psa 135:6; Act 17:25-28; Job 38-41); from the greatest even to the least, (Mat 10:29-31); by His most wise and holy providence, (Pro 15:3; Psa 104:24; Psa 145:17); according to His infallible fore-knowledge, (Act 15:8; Psa 94:8-11); and the free and immutable counsel of His own will, (Eph 1:11; Psa 33:10-11); to the praise of the glory of His wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy, (Isa 63:14; Eph 3:10; Rom 9:17; Gen 45:7; Psa 145:7).
In this passage in Luke 2, it is not mere coincidence that Simeon comes to the temple on the same day, or that Anna had been there serving.
Jesus was born in “the fullness of time” (Galatians 4:4). He will later be delivered over and crucified by the predestined plan of God (Acts 4:28). This redemption was at “the proper time” (1 Timothy 2:6).
Use – A Christmas Call to Consolation The previous uses have been what you should practice: faith, praise, expressible joy. This is a call to what you should receive. Come and get it.
Just as joy is related to salvation, so consolation is related to providence.
There are hard providences. Simeon was both excited, and exhausted, waiting to see the Messiah. Anna may not have been a witness without having been a widow. Mary was the most blessed, and also the difficulties of traveling and delivering a baby were the least of her burdens. They would soon be told to escape to Egypt. They would receive reports of baby boys two and under being slaughtered by Herod. She watched many reject her Son, and then watched Him be crucified. She was favored by God, and yet a sword pierced her heart.
Remember Romans 8:28. Remember that Jesus Himself is redemption and consolation. In Him we have forgiveness for our sins, in Him we have eternal life, in Him we have hope, in Him we have glory.
He has also sent His Spirit to dwell in us, to seal us for an eternal inheritance. That Spirit is the Paraclete, the Comforter.
Do you have to wait? Have you lost something, someone, that hurts so much? Simeon was ready to die, it seemed to him that it was time to be done. You might, in God’s providence, not be done yet.
Christmas is a call to persevere, to keep going, under God’s providential care.
But this promise and peace only come from Christ. They do not come from a new app, a better relationship, a profitable business, a more healthy body. Those can be part of good things given by God, but He alone can comfort your soul. When you get sick. how long you’re sick. When the world is crazy, and when it has much common grace.
Conclusion We are staring down the final days of this calendar year.
We are waiting for the second advent of the Son, the reign of the King forever. We live by faith, we see glimpses of the connections by providence, and we seek to walk in the strength of His Spirit.
He continues to reveal our hearts. May we be blessed by Him.
Charge The light of Christ has come. You have His Spirit in You, You have His Word in front of you. Walk in the Spirit. Meditate on the Scripture. Give yourself to Him. Go to Him for grace and comfort. He is the Father of mercies and God of all comfort. He’s sent His Son, do all in His name.
Benediction:
And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. (Acts 20:32, ESV)
Or, A Christmas Call to (Expressible) Joy
Luke 2:8-20
December 19, 2021
Lord’s Day Worship
Sean Higgins
Introduction I prefer quiet. I grew up in a house where my dad more than preferred it, he punished the rest of us, not ironically and quite effectively with his own unvoiced anger, for not being quiet. Quiet is drilled into me.
Many stories we’ve heard about “spiritual” people also involve quiet. Among us Bible-reading types we even have our own modern-monkish moments we call “quiet times.” We’ve turned quiet into a virtue, and virtues typically get promoted and defended.
Four sure, quiet can be good, polite, appropriate, reverent. For sure, the night Jesus was born was not silent.
We come by it naturally; every time we sing “Silent Night” it strums the sentimental heart strings, as long as you don’t actually have a newborn you’re trying to juggle in one arm while holding the candle for the Christmas Eve service in the other. Silence is more a platonic idea than an incarnate one.
We sing “let all mortal flesh keep silence,” which is an inspired line in Zechariah 2:13. But that is a call to silence for those who won’t serve the Lord, in contrast to the call to those who put their trust in the Lord, “Sing and rejoice, …for behold, I come and will dwell in your midst” (Zechariah 2:10, see verses 11-12 as well). The silence is urged on those who about to face Yahweh’s holy judgment.
But when it comes to the birth of His holy Son, what does it sound like? “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host saying, ‘Shhhhhhhh!’” Yes, the angelic army of shushers as seen on TV nativity sets.
The thing is, the skies were not silent, neither were the shepherds, or Mary or Joseph. The only quiet character in these first two chapters of Luke’s gospel is Zechariah, and he was muted as discipline for not believing the word he was given.
I am not calling for as many decibels around your tree or table, but songs of loudest praise are appropriate. Raise a glass, and raise your voice. Be careful trying to keep your joy, and your kids’ joys, at a whisper.
We’re at the fourth of four advent messages. Already we’ve considered the Annunciation, the Magnificat, and the Birth of Christ. The next most immediate event concerns the shepherds and angels on the same night, and that will give us something to treasure and ponder in our hearts this week. As in the previous sermons, the three parts will be the story, a doctrine, and an application.
Joy to the World – Luke 2:8-20 As for the chronology, we know it is the same night because verse 14 says, “born this day.” As far as location, Luke says, “in the same region,” so outside of Bethlehem, near enough for the shepherds to cover the distance. “There were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night” (thank you again to the KJV translators; such language is four centuries old). There’s one flock, of an unknown number watched by another unknown number of shepherds. Since it’s plural there must have been more than two, and probably less than ten. They are on the graveyard shift.
“And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shown around them, and they were filled with fear” (2:9). If it was Gabriel he is not named, and the glory—the dazzling brightness—gets emphasized. Zechariah and Mary had both been startled, these shepherds no less. The next lines are Christmas gold. The angel said:
“Fear not, for behold I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people, for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (verse 10)
At the moment, it is one angelic herald and a few small town shepherds. This hardly seems like a crescendo. Bethlehem was not highly regarded (Micah 5:2), and it’s usually said that shepherds weren’t either. And probably, these shepherds were not the guys you invited to your parties unless you absolutely had to. At the least, the gospelization did not come to temple priests or public dignitaries. While the consequences of this event would be extensive (all the world, Israel are “the people” and Gentiles are mentioned in 2:32) and eternal (salvation) and political (Christ the Lord), the good news was shared at small scale.
It was no small celebration, though, but news of “great joy.” Joy to the world!
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace among those with whom He is please.” (verses 13-14)
Glory in altissimis Deo! There are some things a solo just can’t satisfy. This news, this great joy, took a choir of angels. It’s a “heavenly host,” they are an angelic army of praise-rs. These singing-soldiers have lit up the sky and filled the silence with their song.
You may notice that the ESV is not the standard holiday greeting card quote, which is “on earth peace, goodwill toward men.” That’s from the KJV, based on a different set of handwritten copies of the New Testament (the Textus Receptus) that don’t have a final sigma (ς) on eudokia (εὐδοκία), which would be in the nominative case (so, “goodwill to men”). The better reading has the sigma, making it a the genitive case, as reflected in most modern translations (so, “peace among men of [God’s] goodwill”). The emphasis is on peace, and peace to those God elected for receiving His favor.
The angel told them where they could see this Savior (verse 12) and they decided to go see for themselves “this thing that has happened, what the Lord made known to us” (verse 15).
They went “with haste,” and whether by asking around or by their knowledge of a limited number of manger spots in the city (maybe it was their own stable), they found the family. “Hi. You don’t know us, but we were just flash-mobbed by an angel choir about your baby.”
The news got around. The shepherds were not silent about it; they are the only ones who saw the extraordinary glory, and they didn’t keep it to themselves. And people “wondered,” some perhaps politely and others more open in their unbelief. Mary was collecting her thoughts, overwhelmed with the events, and then the shepherds went back to work, “glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen.” What a night, loud and bright, and not quiet.
The Doctrine – Salvation Again, unlike the virgin birth and a qualified kenosis in the incarnation which are the focus of a few verses, salvation is a front-to-back-of—the-canon doctrine. But as we hear the angels voices about this divine night, we understand that it’s about the “dear Savior’s birth.”
Interestingly, Luke is the only one of the Synoptic Gospels to use the word “Savior” (and the title is used only once in John 4:42).
The great joy of the Christmas story is about salvation, a Savior who saves and reigns as Savior-King, as Messiah. Gabriel told Joseph that the son of Mary should be named “Jesus,” Yahweh saves, “for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Mary magnified the Lord and rejoiced in “God my Savior” (Luke 1:47); did she know that the bitty-baby in her belly was her Savior? Zechariah, after he got his voice back, celebrated God who has “visited and redeemed his people, and he has raised up a horn of salvation” (Luke 1:68-69). John would go before Jesus “to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins” (Luke 1:77).
So again, the angel of the Lord told the shepherds about the birth of “a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). The angelic host praised God for “peace,” and this is news of forgiveness and fellowship between God and man, that is, salvation.
In the next section of Luke, Simeon recognized the Lord’s Christ, “for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples” (2:30).
And so, in this Christmas season we sometimes even need salvation from sinning in our “Christmas sins,” like snobby pride and selfish discontent and impatience and anxiety, in carol-vexation and silent-joy.
Use – A Christmas Call to (Expressible) Joy Let me state again that quiet isn’t always bad, and silence is certainly not violence. Be thankful for the moments when not a creature is stirring in your house. But don’t let Thomas Kinkade paint your picture of Christmas. Remember, it was the Grinch, like Grendel before him, who was mad at all the joyful noise.
When you can’t hear yourself think because it’s so loud, transpose that into a meditation on what fussy shepherds might have said when the choir started all their hubbub. “You’re startling the sheep!” The way the shepherds showed their faith was not by finding the manger and then miming congratulations. They talked among themselves, they shared testimonies with Joseph and Mary, they seem to have told anyone who crossed their paths, and ended up making more joyful noise in the Lord’s name when they went back to the fields.
There is a joy that is “inexpressible.”
Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:8–9 ESV)
But this is not describing a kind of joy, like something kept safe behind bullet-proof glass, rather it refers to our limited capacity to get all the rejoicing out. The Incarnation of our Savior is not a truth protected in a museum but proclaimed in a concert hall.
Conclusion In my message on the Magnificat I said about Mary’s praise, “This is faith, yes, but it is not sleeping or silent. It’s faith that goes all in, in obedience and also in reverence and joy.”
In his poem “The Turn of the Tide,” C. S. Lewis writes:
Revel, mirth and shout
Descended to her, sphere below sphere,
Till Saturn laughed and lost his latter age’s frost
And his beard, Niagara-like, unfroze
In pre-Copernican cosmology, Saturn was the final planet, the planet of the end, the planet of old and cold, the planet of death. At the Incarnation, even Saturn couldn’t stay hard.
I am not trying to be a Scrooge or make all the needles on your pine tree brown, or to red pill your Precious Moments Christmas edition, but to open you up to a harder, more tiring, more Bethlehem-consistent, joy.
“Silent Night, Holy Night” is two-thirds right, it was night and the baby was holy. Who knows, the only silence that night might have come between the baby gathering oxygen to wail. And in “O Little Town of Bethlehem” – “how silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given,” really?
The first verse in “Let all mortal flesh keep silence” is quite shushy, so is “ponder nothing earthly minded,” except that the next couple verses require just the opposite. Is it only angels that, “with ceaseless voice” “cry: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Lord Most High!”
How about instead: “From Heaven Above to Earth I Come” verse 14: “My heart for very joy must leap; my lips no more can silence keep.”
I’m not sure what your favorite Christmas carol is, and it’s fine if it’s not “Joy to the World” and you’re just wrong. But Christmas is not pianissimo. The Savior reigns, “Let men their songs employ” and “repeat the sounding joy.”
Charge All of us have it better than the shepherds. We do not need to go to Bethlehem and see, we have our own completed copies of the Bible to read. We have not heard the heavenly choir, but we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed (2 Peter 1:19). We’ve not seen a baby in a manger, but we’ve been privileged called to steward the whole story of the Savior. If the shepherds enjoyed the choir, how much more joy do we have to join in the choir? All you have to do is not keep silent about Him.
Benediction:
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. (2 Peter 3:18, ESV)